


Dead of Night

by Alliswell



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/M, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Smut, Some OOC/Role Swap, Some Underage Dubious Con, because it's Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-27 02:03:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 82,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5029441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alliswell/pseuds/Alliswell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I never feared the dark at night, or the howl of the wind; I never feared being alone in the empty woods, somehow, I always knew his unaturally shiny blue eyes followed my every move... I didn't fear <i>him</i>, but everything else did. </p><p>For my dear reader AnneHarbor, Tu historia sobre un guapo vampiro en celebracion de Halloween!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeated. All mistakes are mine. 
> 
> My dear reader AnneHarbor asked me once, "Why not a handsome Vampire?" I figure Halloween was a good an excuse as any, so here it is, vampire!Peeta. 
> 
> Enjoy, leave me a note. This will have one more part, soon to be posted. 
> 
> Be safe as you go out trick or treating guys!

Papa knew nothing about little girls, but he loved me more than life, and did his very best to raise me on his own after momma died from a recurring pneumonia, right before my third birthday. During those days, Papa only smiled when I sang, and I loved to see him smiling so much I was rarely without a song falling out of my mouth; I had songs about everything, often times silly made up lyrics, to well known melodies I couldn't remember the words to. 

I think I must've been too little, when momma passed on, to remember what it felt like to have a mother. The truth was, I loved my papa, he was the best father a little girl could ever want; I was very proud of being his little bud, because he would take me everywhere with him. He taught me how to fish, and gather, how to climb trees, and when I was tall enough to hold his bow straight without it touching the ground, he taught me how to shoot.

He also took me with him, when he went into town to barter with the more affluent merchants for the various necessities we could not collect for in woods. Papa was well liked and respected among our district, everyone always seemed eager to trade their weres for his fresh game, and most people got to know me as his ever present companion. 

Papa always told me it was important I knew how to provide food for my self, how to strike a 'profitable' deal, even if we weren't getting paid in silver or gold coins; it was important to know how to treat people nicely, in order to keep busines relations friendly and open.

So, at the age of six years old, papa stood right behind me, while I knocked on the heavy wooden back door of the town bakery. It would mark my very first negotiation, and I was excited and giddy. I'm sure papa chose to have this initial trade with the baker, because he was the nicest, friendliest man in town; but when the door opened after my knock, it was his shrew of a wife who came forth. 

The baker's wife was as mean and nasty as her husband was nice, all the children in the school yard called her 'the Witch', but me, being who papa had taught me to be, simply squared my shoulders off, and bravely shoved the two fat squirrels I had in my tiny fist by their tails, straight into the air in front of the witch. She blinked confusedly for a moment, so I spoke.

"Here to trade with the baker, ma'am. Two big, fat, juicy squirrels for a few dinner rolls or a loaf of wheat, if that's alright." I said in my six year old voice.

The woman narrowed her eyes momentarily, and was about to say something when one of her sons peered out from behind the door. I was sure it was the youngest one, because he wasn't very tall and the oldest was almost as tall as Papa's shoulders. All the baker's boys looked similar though. Head shocked full of curly blonde hair, skin as fair as cream and eyes bluest that a summer sky. A pair of those blue eyes were trained on me right then with open interest.

I'm wasn't not sure why was he looking at me so much; he was soooo much older than me, probably was like in fifth or sixth grade and I had just begun my schooling the previous year; either way, he seemed very interested in me, maybe because of the squirrels dangling from my hand. All I knew, was that I felt compelled to give him a small smile. His eyes grew to the size of saucers, and his cheeks and tip of his ears turned a furious pink when I did.

I was confused by his reaction. I didn't mean to scare him, and I really didn't mean for his momma to turn around and start screaming at him, calling him ugly names for lurking about instead of paying attention to the ovens. I felt Papa's hand on my shoulder, and I just was a bit hurt by the way he just sweept me behind his legs and finished the bartering for me. 

After we left the back stoop of the bakery, I turned to Papa and asked him seriously, "Why didn't you let me finish my trade, Papa?" I was merely curious at that point, but I still had a lingering scowl on my brow.

Papa laughed, "Katnis, dear, I think you were doing an excellent job with Mrs. Mellark, but, some times when grown ups are angry, they tend to say things they shouldn't. I thought that it was best I took Mrs. Mellark's attention, before she'd..." Papa stopped talking and I saw him frown, then he patted my head and smiled at me, "Adults some times can be mean to little children, and I really don't want anyone to be mean to you." He said, placing a protective hand at the base of my neck, between my shoulder blades gently steering me inside our little house. 

I just stewed in my thoughts for a second, before I spoke again, "The children in school call her _the witch_. I heard Romilda Smith say that the witch yells and hits her boys all the time." Papa's face turns sad as he shakes his head. 

"As I said darling, some times adults are mean when they're angry, and _Mrs. Mellark_ , I don't want _you_ calling her witch, well, she's a very angry person." Papa chided me softly. 

"Why is she angry, papa? She can have all the cookies she'd ever want!" I really couldn't wrap my mind around it, how a person surrounded with sugar and frosting could be angry?

"I'm not sure, kiddo, but is best if you don't talk to her without me, alright?" He said giving my head another pat.

"Who protects the boys?" I blurt out thinking back on the summer sky blue eyes peering at me from behind it's owner's mother.

"I hope their daddy does, bud. I really hope so," He sat in a chair and started undoing his boot laces, and he said, "Tell you what, next time we are out in the woods, pick them something you think they would like, we can give it to them when we trade with their father. What do you think?" I nodded enthusiastically, I knew exactly what to get!

So that weekend, while Papa was shooting down a deer deeper in the woods, I stayed in a clearing collecting blackberries from a bush. When we bartered with the baker that afternoon, I just simply walked up to the same boy that had been watching me the previous visit, and handed him a bundle of berries. He stood stiff with eyes wide open and pink cheeks.

"Here... This are my favorite, I picked them for you. Hope you like them. I'm sorry I got you in trouble with your momma." 

The boy hesitated for a moment, then looked up at his father, but the baker wasn't paying attention, he caught my papa's eye instead, and since Papa smiled and nodded his head, I think he understood it was okay to take the offering. So he did with a small 'Thank you.' And then turned away and left the kitchens as fast as his long scrawny legs allowed him.

I wish I could say the boy and I became friends after that, but we didn't. I would still find him staring at me every now and then, across the school yard or when I came to the back of the bakery with Papa. It was always the same, I'd feel his eyes on me, purposely look up for them but when I found the blue irises, they would flit away from me instantly. This went on for months until he left primary school.

Years later, when I was eleven, we got the most bitter winter in history. The woods practically died before our eyes; people would get frostbite just being outside too long, and and illness ran rampant among the district inhabitants. Papa fell ill, and since I was just a little girl, I couldn't work for payment. I couldn't afford medicine for my father, nor could I afford food for us, and that was the last time I'd interact directly with the boy with the piercing blue eyes for a couple more years.

I had been trudging all around town, asking merchants and mine workers alike if they needed help; I could clean, I could run errands, I could shoveled snow front store fronts and walkways, but I was too scrawny and fragile looking for them to believe I could do any type of manual labor, so I never got hired.

The apothecary's daughter, a very sweet young lady, took pity on me and gave me some medicinal tea leaves, so I could bring them home to Papa. But it had been a long trying day, I was tired and my feet hurt, I was shivering something awful in the cold snow, and I was so hungry my stomach burned. The apothecary shop was only across the street from the bakery, and the smells sifting through the cold air made my knees weak and wobbly.

I sat under an apple tree by the bakery. I only intended to rest there a minute, to then take the road back home to feed my papa the medicine but I must've doze off, because next thing I knew there were frantic blue eyes hovering and inch or so from my own. The boy shook me something fierce and spoke in a trembling voice,

"Hey, wake up, kid! You've gotta wake up! You can't fall asleep in the snow, come on, wake up little girl!"

"I'm not a little girl! I'm eleven and my name is Katniss," I protested, at least I tried I say that, because his eyebrows knitted together in confusion for a moment, before  relief flooded his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't understand what you just said, but it's good you're talking. Come on kid, you have to stand up from the snow, you'll catch your death sitting there."

"I gotta go back to Papa, to give him his medicine," I slurred, I think he got the gist of what I just said, because he shook his head again and calmly told me,

"You can go home after you come inside and warm up. You shouldn't be in the cold right now." He simply scooped me up like I was a puppy and the next time my eyes opened, I was facing an orange fire.

I was warm and cozy, wrapped in a blanket on a small rocking chair. I recognized the interior of the bakery's kitchens, and as my head started to regain consciousnes, I also started to regain my senses. The first thing that registered was the delicious smells of fresh baked bread, the next thing I noticed was the prickle in my ears as my hearing slowly focused on the shrill shouting of the witch... _Mrs. Mellark_... Somewhere close by, and then I jumped out of my seat when I heard the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting flesh.

I was terrified, I wanted to get out of there. And then I realized the ruckus was about me! 

"She would've die out there! Her father's sick, they need help!" I heard the boy's faint voice. And then his mother roared back.

"Stupid creature, feed these Seam rats and you get a house full of vermin! It's not our responsibility to burden ourselves with the likes of them, we can't run a business giving our bread away for free, Peeta! Now, get out of my sight before I stricke you again!" 

The boy came bounding into the kitchen with a red wealth under his eye and a paper bag clutched in his hand. He stiffened when he saw me.

"Er... Here." He shoved the bag into my hands and I could feel the heat from it seeping to my palms. "I'm sorry, but you have to go." he said embarrassedly. "I don't want my mother to find you here and... I just don't want you to get yelled at." He said in a reluctant voice, he wouldn't meet my eyes, and I couldn't take mine away from him. Then he shuffled to the door and opened it, clearly dismissing me. 

I slowly got up and dropped the blanket from my shoulders. I hugged the bag tightly to my chest, and looked at him. I was speechless. I should've thanked him, I should've promised to bring him game as soon as I could to repay his kindness, but my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. I heard steps coming toward us, I knew it was the witch, my heart started yammering in my chest, I looked at him with wide eyes, and his face was as panicked as mine. He whispered harhsly.

"What are you doing? Go!" I didn't   have to be told twice. Without as much as a nod, I took off running. I didn't stop until I was inside my own house, my heart beating frantically in my chest. Then I panicked all over again because I didn't know where the bag with medicine was, and I knew I couldn't go back to the bakery to inquire about it, I was about to start crying, when a knock on the door startled me.

Opening it just a bit, I saw a flash of blue, before the boy took of running. I looked down to the steps leading to my house, a small bundle sat on the top step. I picked it up and bring it inside. My medicine was there, along with a piece of salted fish and some dried fruit. I looked out the window, knowing the boy was not there anymore, and sent him a small thank you anyway. 

 

A month after my thirteenth birthday, there was a terrible fire in the bakery. I rushed to the site, just like every other person in town. Papa started elbowing people out of the way, trying to reach the burning structure, until him and other men from town were able to quickly pull what they could away from the flames, in a rescue mission. I joined the chain of people that goes from the town's well to the bakery, where we passed buckets of water from person to person to be dumped on the fire. 

"Pour salt on it!" Screamed Rooba, the butcher, calling from her shop where she had a sack full of salt ready in offering to smother the inferno in the bakery. Soon the fire is extinguish, and the rest of town starts cataloguing the damage.

Mrs. Mellark and the middle boy weren't lucky; there wasn't much the healers could do for them. The baker himself was alright, only sustaining burns to his left arm and parts of his face and neck. The oldest boy had third degree burns covering most of his body, and I breathed easier when I heard the youngest boy's eyes had barely missed the fire, and he would make a quick recovery, but would probably sport scars around his forehead where the flames licked his skin... As long as he lives, physical scars are inconsequential, I just hope he thinks likewise.

The oldest boy died three days later, leaving devastation to his new bride's family, and his own. I think I cried all night until I fell asleep after I heard the news. It wasn't fair that all the Mellarks had suffered so much.

A couple of months later, though, a very mysterious man moved into the district, into a lavish estate just outside the town limits that seemed to had sprout out of thin air. For what little gossip ran around town, our new neighbor is presumed to be very wealthy, a fact that's confirmed soon, when offered to rebuild the ruined bakery. Rumors had it, the only thing the man asked of the baker, was that he made sure the town's folks were fed the best quality of bread, for accessible prices that everyone Could afford.

Whether the rumors were true or inventions, a new bakery is erected in record time; and when the baker and his only remaining son returned to business, more people came into the shop and left with bags full of baked goods. It could be that the prices were lower, or that the baker's new bride was such a nice, friendly lady, I didn't know, but I tried to come trade on my own while Papa was working his shift down the mines during the week, just to check on the baker's son.

In the following weeks I took to collect little snippets on information about the baker's only surviving son; and boy there were so many stories! Like for example, his name is Peeta Mellark, and he is almost twenty years old. I already knew his name from primary school, for the one year we crossed paths there; he graduated upper school way before I even set foot in the building, what with him being six and half years older than me and all, which made me irrationally sad and grouchy to find out for some reason.

Although, I'm not as oblivious as to ignore the fluttery feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I hear his name or see a boy that resembles him, no, in fact, I'm well aware of how my breath hitches and my heart beat quickens when he smiles at me a wishes me a good day. I'm not an idiot, although, I'm completely embarrassed by my feelings.

I started noticing him more and more after the accident in the bakery. And any girl would be hard pressed not have noticed him. He's all muscles, with a broad chest and shoulders, stocky built and medium height, ashy blonde wavy hair that falls lazily on his forehead obscuring his piercing blue eyes. The boy... Man... Is breathtakingly pretty, burn scars and all!

Sadly, after the fire, the last Mellark son seemed more brooding, more quiet and serious. I guess if a fire claimed half my family I'd be more reserve too. But now, he has a new mother, a nice mother, a mother who takes good care of him instead of bareating him for no good reason. After weeks of caring for the Mellarks, the baker had fallen in love with the apothecary's only daughter and married her as soon as he was back in his new shop. The new Mrs. Mellark is so nice, always smiling, always kind. Is no wonder the baker would want to secure her right away.

 

 

I wish I had been paying more attention to the signs, because the way small details that appeared to be out of place grew in number and ocurrance; the weather turned dry and chill in the middle of summer, the sky seemed to be downcast everyday, there was an unatural silence in the woods that would made the hairs on my back stand on point, and I know I would have find it quirky and puzzled about it, if it hadn't been so bewirlded about the obvious changes in Papa's countenance and behavior.

Papa's usual cheerfulness was somewhat lacking, he'd been more taciturn and quiet than those days when momma had first passed on, and it worries me, because I was ill equipped to understand his melancholy or even ask the right questions to figure out how to help him.

Over the years, Papa and I had perfected the art of singing and whistling melodies in duet harmony, specially while strolling into town to trade our game, but now his eyes go glassy and sad, and we seldom sing together anymore, no matter how much I strain to bring him out of his moods. Going into town has turned into a painful chore for him, but he refuses to let me go at it alone, so I've been trying not to question him, but keep a careful eye on him instead.

The agony had lasted for weeks, until the whole district was swallowed up in fear and disgust, and then even Papa, was yanked out of his depresed state and thrust into the collective terror.

A dead body was found in an alley behind the town shops. No one saw what happened to the unfortunate soul. No one heard anything, but it was abundantly  clear, death didn't come naturally to the poor old man; his throat was basically ripped open, and his body was completely drained from blood. His eyes and mouth, frozen into an expression of utter terror. There were no clues as to what or who had attacked him or why.

Investigations were initiated by Sheriff Cray and his Deputy Darius Finnigan, but no culprit was ever found; no witnesses, no leads, and the town was scared from their own shadows because a murdered was lose in our midsts. Neighbors distrust each other, people started shutting closed their blinds earlier every evening; children weren't allowed to outside without a chaperone, and finally, _finally_ , Papa was more himself in his caring treatment towards me. He was also particularly nice to the baker's new wife, but I thought nothing of it, after all, the murder had been brutal and her family's shop was only two doors down from where the body was found; they way the new Mrs. Mellark seemed to be barely hanging on to her tears every time we came in for trading, was heart wrenching. 

I remember sitting at home at night, brushing my hair before bed, and wondering, if maybe I was wrong. Maybe living in a place filled with cookies and cakes was not the heaven I thought it would be. Maybe it was the baker himself. Was he a bad husband? How could two wives be so miserable living with him, when his house always smelled like vanilla and spun sugar?

It mattered not, Mrs. Mellark would always light up when we came around, and she doted on me like no woman had done ever before.

I wasn't aware of how much I missed having a woman fuss over me, how I craved a motherly touch, an disapproving twist of a mouth, when I only wore britches and tattered old flannel shirts. Mrs. Mellark started to complementing me on my hair, and eye color, then on my hunting skills, that she often said her husband praised above anything else; and then she gave me her old dresses, the ones to small for her, and although I had no real use for girly dresses, I started wearing them on the days I knew Papa and I were to barter for bread, just so she could see me and then pretend she didn't recognized me under the skirts and blouses. But then, I would be lying if I said Mrs. Mellark's approval was the only incentive for my change in outfits. 

The very first time I walked into the bakery wearing a dress, Peeta Mellark had looked at me appraisingly for a minute longer than usual. time I was wearing a simple blue number, belted around the waist, with buttons that ran on the front; the material was clingy, although the dress was actually a little big on me, it still managed to make look feminine, and the way Peeta's blue eyes raked down my form, made my stomach flip. This gaze was new on him, and it was highly addictive. I wanted him to look at me the same way again, but his sweet blue eyes were hard to catch, and even harder to keep.

In the back of my mind, I knew he wouldn't really be interested in me.  He was a man, six, maybe seven years older than me, why would he care for a fourteen year old girl, when he could have Delly Cartwright, who graduated with his class and seemed to always be hanging about with him, laughing at his jokes and touching his arms? Delly Cartwright had more curves than I could ever dream to have, and her fair, umblemished skin was the complete opposite of my olive, dull complex. Still, I dressed up for the unlikely eventually, that Peeta would care to look my way again, but if he ever did, he never let on. 

Time passed by, people started to let go and forget of the horrors, nobody wanted to keep the nightmare alive, so, everyone got back into their routines, friendships were tentatively mended, and a sense of peaceful contentment was settling over us as a community once more. It didn't last long. Another corpse appeared, this time by my side of the district, on the poorer levels of our neighborhood, the area called The Seam; this time it was a young woman, and unlike the old man, the new victim seemed to have been _used_ in other, more deprived ways, before her neck was sliced open and her body was drained of every last drop of blood. 

The uneasiness and fear returned full force, and this time stayed for good. Corpses started to pop out at every corner of the district, every other month, sometimes even closer between. People were afraid even from their children. And then, the discovery that changed everything, helped the frayed minds of the populace to sigh collectively in relief: _it was never one of us!_ And scream in horror in the next breath: _Vampires among us!._ Vampire to be more accurate. There was only one of those in our town, and I doubt I speak for myself when I say, we rather had none.

I always thought of vampires as myth, horror fiction told to children on the day of Hollows and Saints, but I was proven wrong, along with the rest of my fellow townsfolk. When we finally met the enigmatic  Coriolanus Snow, he snuck upon us, building a manor in the outskirts of our town, and making a dwelling in there, a nest I recalled him calling his house. He was small in stature, thin and bony, with tufts of white hair in his head and matching white beard. He was also the mysterious benefactor that paid for reconstruction of the bakery, and that little nugget of information hurt the Mellarks's business until Snow ordered our town to eat, fill up, and stay healthy. He couldn't have his source of nourishment voluntarily starve themselves.

The Mellarks grew weary and guilty by the role their hand had in the fate of town, fattening the district to then be sent to be slaughtered, but soon enough they were joined in the guilt by the grocer, and the few farmers out in the surrounding fields, and then the butcher was also signaled out, others not in the food industry followed as well,  business owners that didn't even provided other supplies necessary for the wellbeing of town, such as the apothecary and the only doctor in town; by then no one batted an eyelash at stepping into the bakery for fresh rolls and breakfast pastries; it still didn't make it easy on anyone to haul that guilt around.

The way we discovered the nature of our monster resident, was terrifying and shocking. The people had been clamoring for justice and answers, right ut side the Sheriff's office in Main Street, even the slimiest indication of news of progress in the investigation would've been welcomed by then. The latest atrocity unveiled hardly a few days prior, and nerves were at an all time high. Sheriff Cray stepped out into the town square to address the populace, and that was when Snow made his entrance.

He rushed to the front of the crowd fast as lighting, and in the blink of an eye helf Cray's overweight body bove his head by the neck, while the man kicked frantically, clutching at the long bony fingers pressing on his windpipe. Deputy Darius unloaded his revolver on the attacker, but the bullets bounced off of the man's back without causing any damage. Finally, Darius charged at Snow, who without flinching stuck his other arm out and trapped the deputy in his other fist.

Darius green eyes were about to pop out of his skull when he screamed something incoherent at his would be killer, and then Snow turned his eyes, beady and snake like, without hint of an iris in them, and bared his abnormally long fangs for the first time. The shrikes from the mob of people hardly affecting the monster, one hand crushed Cray's throat with a sickening snap, and discarded the body to bring his now free hand to Darius' youthful face. Darius kept on screaming but with the same inhuman speed from before, Snow bit down on poor Darius' tongue, ripping it right out of his mouth, in front of everyone's disgusted eyes. 

Darius shook uncontrollably, convulsing, before Snow's already bloddy fangs sank into the younger man's neck finishing the job. Darius stop moving amidst sounds of retching and wailings of despair from the crowd. He was gone, but his last minutes of life were agonizing and terrible.

Darius had a boyish face, full of freckles over the bridge of his nose, a head full of red flaming hair, matched by red short eyelashes that fluttered every time he'd laugh. He had a nice laugh, full and hearty. It's strange to know he was never going to produce sounds again, even if he had lived. 

Satiated, Snow let the carcass fall to the ground carelessly and turned his attention to the stunned congregation in front of him,

"From this day forth, I demand all of you to submit obediently to my command. Comply in good nature, and you'd be spare suffering." He waited for a moment until the mass nodded like obidient, mindless shee, their reluctant agreement. He smiled cruelly, and spoke once more. "To make sure all of you stay in line, I propose the following, every three months, a tribute is to be paid in other to appease my hunger. The tribute is to be healthy, young, and although I much rather have females, to satisfy _all_ of my needs, I will allow male sacrifices as well. You choose whom you are to send, do it promptly or suffer the consequences." then he was gone, and the people in town wailed in despair.

 

 

Choosing a victim wasn't an easy task. The elders of town sat with the people they considered the most brilliant minds in the district, and came up with the idea of the Reaping Bowl. Names would be put in ballots  the slipped into a big crystal bowl; when the day was due for harvest, a ballot would be pulled out, read aloud in the square and the owner of the name would be mourn by their family and friends. They even came up with rules for the reaping, only teenagers were to be part of the cursed pool, and they would alternate between male and female.

At fourteen, I was eligible for the reaping but name never got called, the events that happened before the first reaping prevented any child's name to be plucked out of the bowl and sentenced to certain death. As it had happened, the three month mark came and went, and my people refused to choose and hand over an innocent child to feed the beast.

Snow was angry. 

We quickly realized that the perpetual cloudiness overhead was tightly linked to the vampire's mood; the day of he stormed into town seeking his pray, he brought  thunder and rain and lighting with him, before viciously striking down on everything on his path. I hadn't known then, but my world was about to shatter into a million pieces, completely obliterating any lingering innocence I might've still harbor in my once pure and untouched soul. 

A mob, full of anger and dissent prodded by the fear of losing their children in an unfair bloodbath, broke into the townhall where the reaping bowl was store, waiting to be used. Papa was at the heart of the mob, a handful of other men from the mines right alongside him. They crushed the glass sphere that held the names of every child in the district, and dumped the ballots bearing our names into an open flame.

Snow thundered into the building and most men scattered away, only a few weren't fast enough. Papa could have been safe and spared, but his best friend, Mr. Hawthorne, laid on the granite floors of townhall with blood seeping from his forehead. Papa couldn't just run away and leave his friend there to the none existing mercy of that demon, so crept slowly and silently to Mr. Hawthorne's prone body, and right when his fingers where ghosting over Hawthorn, the cold bony hand of Coriolanus Snow closed around Papa's throat, choking him into submission.

But Snow was a voyeuristic narcissist, he was arrogant, and his arrogance and showiness would soon be his downfall. Snow couldn't just kill Papa without witnesses, what kind of message would that send to the rest of his cattle, if we didn't see the consequences of rebelling against him. Just like he did with the sheriff and his deputy, the old vampire made the inhabitants of town come to watch the show.

My father dangled from the man's fist, struggling and flapping his legs around, personall, a more grotesque spectacule I've never seen; someone was screaming their head off in the distance. The sound terrible and pathetic. It made my head pound and my throat burn, I couldn't concentrate in my own breathing, let alone on finding the source of the yells and cries, until suddenly, my nails found purchase on solid flesh and my face was smothered in the warmth of a muscular chest. The screaming was muffled. I guess it had been me screaming. I also wasn't aware had been clawing my fellow neighbors in my all consuming terror.

"Shhhs, Katniss, shhhs. Stay quiet little girl. It'll be fine, it'll be alright." But even in my sofocated mind I knew nothing would be alright, the person I was being embraced by was wrong, deadly wrong. He kept on speaking softly into my ear, and rubbed my back in an effort to comfort me. "You will provoke him worse, if you don't calm down, I need you to calm down, baby." a soft whisper reach my subconscious, "It'll be fine, you'll be fine. I swear, I won't let anything bad happen to you."

I wanted to believe the velvety voice in my ear, my screaming had stopped, and then I felt the hand cradling my head to the warm chest, slide down the length of the long braid I had perpetually kept my hair in since I learned how to weave it with fast clever fingers. But the warmth and the chest and the protection I felt were gone, almost as suddenly as they had come. My face was free again, and I immediately missed the sense of steadiness I had felt while enveloped in those strong arms. I did feel strangely calmed and quiet, if only for a moment. 

I flit my eyes everywhere, I needed to know who spared me the brief reprieve from the awful sights, who's embrace had made me feel safe in the middle of the worst moment of my life, but my sight was blurred by all the tears that filled my eyes, it was like trying to see through foggy glasses. I desperately seek my benefactor, because I knew what was about to come would unhinge me and probably kill me, I selfishly needed to cling to the sense of safety, but then I heard the voice that just seconds ago whispered in my ears, the only words of sympathy and comfort I've heard in this sea of gasps and horror, and my heart shattered once more.

"I volunteer as tribute! I'm young and strong, I'm healthy and very well fed. Please, sir, let him go to his his family, he's got a child that depends on him. You can have me instead, and spare my people the grief of choosing a child for your payment." 

My eyes finally caught up with the voice of the young man I truly did not wanted to see volunteering to take my father's place, but several things happen at once, rendering me speechless, choking down the scream that wanted to escape my throat. I was left mute, for Snow had just stroke Peeta Mellark in the face, causing him to stumble and fall backwards, while blood splattered from his lips and nose.

' _Not Him!_ ' The same words looped around my head repeatedly like a prayer, ' _Not him, not Peeta, please let it be somebody else!_ ' I would never find it in me to regret the plead because losing Peeta was the worse thing that could happened to me. A strangled wail of  "No, son, please... you're all I have," voiced my fears and desires. The baker, was being restrain by several other people, his wife huddled to the side in the arms of her own mother. And the weirdest thought crossed my mind. Most be nice... To have a mother. I would never know, I didn't think I needed one until now. 

And then Snow simply tossed Papa to the side as if he was garbage, lured by Peeta's obviously younger blood. Papa coughed laboriously pawing at his neck, chest heaving greedily for air, a group of men from his mining crew pulled him away from the center of the square and tended to him, my eyes return to Snow as soon as I'm assured Papa's alright, just in time to see the ugly monster swoop down to Peeta still trying his best to stand up from the hard cobblestones of the main road of town. There was debris from the broken doors of town hall littering all around the ground, but Snow seemed oblivious to the mess, his eyes and sneered directed solely on Peeta, and in one fluid motion he had the young man up by the collar of his soft cotton shirt. Mr. Mellark's desperate sobs can be heard above the collective gasps of the crowd, I would've been a screaming mess myself if I hadn't felt so numbed and rooted to my spot my the sight in front of me. 

"Let this be a lesson to you all! I will get my dues, whether you are diligent or not in payment!" Says the chilly, hard voice of Snow. He bites down on Peeta's flesh before anyone has a chance to cry out. I hadn't realized I was pushing my way through the writhing bodies of my fellow denizens until I was a mere five feet away from the gory spectacle. And then, we all see with incredulity, Peeta bringing up a jagged piece of wood, nobody had noticed he was holding in his hand, to plunge it deep into his attacker's chest. 

Snow's expression of disbelief mirrors that of the rest of us, "You fool! Now you belong to the darkness same as me," he cackled malignantly, horrible fangs dripping with Peeta's crimson blood. "I didnt get the chance to feel your heart stop for good, now it will die bearing the virus!" Snow cackled some more.

"As long as you are no more, I don't care what happens to me. If your torment stops, and you can't tear families apart, everything is worth it!" Says Peeta harshly, steal in his voice regardless of the way his hand clutches his neck, or the way his breathing is ragged and uneven. His face is turning paler by the second. And Snow's awful sneering floods the square again as his extremities start to turn to dust. He leans in closer to Peeta and whispers something into his face,  whatever his last words were, they hit the mark, the younger man lets go of Snows lapel, before the material disintegrates in his hands. Snow is nothing more than a pile of dust on the ground that the wind blows asunder, but Peeta's face tells the horror of what his tormentor said to him. 

I'm torn between seeking Papa, or trying to reach the dying young man that sacrificed his life for our town, but I lifted my eyes and met blue fading irises, somehow I could see, distinctly, my name forming in his lips, the sadness and regret that filled his eyes was heartbreaking; I shoved bodies away from me, stepped and kicked feet and legs of slower people, I grunted, and growled, and elbowed a path for myself, until I finally reached him, right as his heavy body hit the cobblestones.

I fell on my knees, his head somehow found its way to rest on my lap, he was cold and his heart beated furiously in his chest, like it knew what was happening to him and it was trying to squeeze in all the beats of a life time that were never to happen anymore. His eyes, were lackluster, still blue like the summer sky, but without shine, and they were still trained on mine. He reached a trembling hand to my face, his fingers coated in his own blood.

"As long as you're safe and protected... It was worth it." he coughed, more of his blood splattered on me, but I didn't care, I just wanted him to survive.

"Why?" I asked him in a ragged sob, "Why risk your life for me?" 

He smiled sadly, "Because, when you sing, even the birds stop to listen... If your father died and you'd survived, there would be no more songs, no more happiness, no more Katniss, he's your whole life. Plus, nobody needs me, father has Lilian, she'll bare him more children, and it'll be as if nothing ever happened." He said sweetly, I couldn't believe my ears.

"No..." I countered wiping at my face furiously, "I need you! I do! I need your smile and your cheerful greetings in the mornings... Please, Peeta, stay with me! Don't let Snow take you from me..." 

"But Katniss, I'll always be watching over you." he said caressing my cheek as his eyes got glassier and his once warm hands turn colder, "Mr. Everdeen, promise me you'd honor my life by protecting your little girl," I hadn't noticed papa crawling next me, he made some assenting sound in the back of his throat, and Peeta's eyes turned to his father who I now was aware had been crouching to my other side the whole time. "I'm gonna miss you dad, keep Katniss fed for me, will ya? I love you." 

"Peeta, my boy..." The baker practically tore his son's limp body from me and rocked it in his burly arms, until Peeta's eyes stared without seeing and his chest didn't rise and fall with his breaths. Peeta Mellark as we knew him, was gone forever, and that was when the panic overtook me. 

"No. No, no, no, NO! Make him come back! Make him be alive! I didn't tell him! I didn't have the chance... NO! I have to tell him!" I felt arms lifting me up from the ground, I fought with all my might to get back to Peeta, I had to tell him how I've felt about him for all those years, I had to let him know about my stupid childish crush on him even if he rejected me, I had to, but Papa carried me away swiftly as he could, while I scream and cried and pounded him with my fists, then I felt a painful puncture in the base of my neck, I looked with surprise, "Lilian...?" I mumbled as she pushed the plunger and warm liquid run through my veins, my feelings of betrayal started to dissipate and thinking felt like swimming in molasses, then my eyes closed and I knew no more pain, grief or fear.

 

 

Snow was right. He was gone, but the darkness lingered.

Our town buried Peeta's body; Our district's very own hero and savior. The whole community came to pay their respects. The mayor gave a heartfelt speech, they erected a monument on top of his gravesite, and every lady, girl and mother in town cried tears of regret, because Peeta Mellark would've been a great match for any marrying age girl. There were also plans to build a grand mausoleum. I didn't know Peeta that well, but I think he'd hate all the attention. He didn't do any of that stuff for recognition, he did what he did, because he thought it was the right thing to do. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Standing at the very edge of the plot of land, where his grave was dug, I surveyed the townsfolk start milling back home, after the ceremony and interment. Mr. Mellark stood next to me, and we sat there silent for the longest stretch of time. The baker smelled just like Peeta did that day when my face was buried in his strong chest. I wish I had taken a deeper breath inhaling his scent: cinnamon and dill, but the truth is, then, I barely registered the smells that now threaten to bring me to tears.

Finally just the baker and I remained standing stoically in the cemetery. I should've left and let the man sit with his last son alone, but I could make myself walk, I felt like if I moved I would break, so I stayed. 

"He always liked you," The baker interrupted the quiet startling me. He gave me a sheepish smile, and I shook my head smiling back at him. 

"Apparently, he liked my singing voice." I said wryly causing the burly man to laugh.

"He sure did. He would beg me to wake him early on trading days, so he wouldn't miss your little songs." His blue tired eyes stared into the distance, before he addressed me again. "He would've been happy to know his step-mother is with child," he said with a sigh.

I turned my face to his so fast the end of my braid slapped me in the face, "She is?" I asked with a cheerfulness I didn't know I was capable of feeling. The baker smiled kindly and nodded in confirmation, tears streamed down his face. 

"Yes, just found out yesterday," He said wistfully, "That's why Lilian, my wife, isn't here today. She's been feeling under the weather," I had wondered about it, but thought I just might've missed the woman. Papa attended but, too much guilt made him stay in the very back of the crowd. Me... I had to see him being lowered into the ground. 

"Mmm, I'm not sure if congratulations are adequate under the circumstance, but, I'm very glad for you and Mrs. Mellark," I told him shyly.

"Thank you, Katniss." then he stepped away from me awkwardly and handded me a paper bag. "Here... For _him_. He knew these were your favorite." I took the bag in trembling fingers and slowly opened the mouth of the bag; my eyes filled with tears when I saw three perfectly round cheese buns sitting at the bottom of the bag. I gripped the bag close, and hughe'd the man with a jump. 

"You didn't have to... But, thank you!" I whispered into his shoulder. He patted my back awkwardly, 

"Yeah, I had to. To his memory." I released him from my scrawny little arms, he simply turned away and  walked on home.

I braved standing closer to the newly dug grave, and placing my hand on the freshly turn soil, "Thank you, Peeta. For everything. I miss you." I stood up, brushed the dirt off my knees, and left with a lighter heart than I had in a long time. 

 

 

Life never got a chances to settled Before thunder and lightning and terror returned, this time breaking more than one heart, and making the wound that much more deep.

The big gravestone that was placed over Peeta's burial was smashed to pieces, the earth disturbed, the iron wrought gate of the cemetery  blown of its hinges, and there's a new living dead resident in town.

Eyes cold as ice, still bluer than anything I've seen, but pupil so black and empty it made a spooky chilly run down my spine. His skin was never as pale and smooth as it was the first time I saw him again, and the paleness makes his eyes stand out even more, same for his lips pink and smirking. He was so unlike his previous self, always smiling warmly. This version of him was frigid, calculating and dark, a monster in his own right, but I never felt more drawn to him.

Delly Cartwright ran to him when he first struted into town square, the way his eyes flicked over her form so uncharacteristic of him, he licked  his lips as his eyes roam over his childhood curvaceous friend, 

"Hello there Dells!" He said smoothly. 

"Peeta..." She breathed out and as if she couldn't help herself, she threw herself into his arms and let her head fall to the side in invitation. 

I looked on in shock, how he nuzzled her exposed skin with his nose, causing her to shiver. "I think I'm taking over Snow's mansion, would you care to come explore it with me?" And without waiting for confirmation, he scooped the girl up in his arms, and walked away, leaving a trail of gasps and shrikes from the people watching.

I stood frozen at the steps of the bakery, Mr. Mellark was standing behind me, his hand covering his mouth as he watched his undead son take away his very first victim in front of the whole town. 

"Don't look, don't look!" I pushed the man back inside his shop, "Nothing good will come of you looking," I begged as tears streamed down my own face. Mr. Mellark was barely inside when I turned around fully intending to slam shut the door to the shop; what a colossal mistake, because my terrified eyes lifted just when the new Peeta was passing by the storefront, and our eyes connected. 

The squeak leaving my mouth sounded so unlike me, but he had dropped Delly, who landed on her bottom gracelessly, and before I could even blink, undead Peeta had pushed his way into the store forcefully. I think I yelped when my back hit the wall five feet behind me, and his body hard as rock pressed me against the wall. I was trapped, and my eyes were glued to his face, the expression in there, raw and confused left me breathless.

"Go into your houses, and _never_ invite me in, unless you wanna become my next meal, do you get me?" He yelled at the top of his lungs... Do he even have lungs? What used would lungs be to a vampire anyway? "As long as you're inside your houses, I can't touch you. Storefronts and public areas are fair game." he said looking straight into my eyes, he was begging me, warning me, commanding me. 

"Son, please... Let the girl go," I faintly heard the baker say, but Peeta only leaned into me and rested his forehead on my shoulder as if he was tired.

"I would die a hundred times for you." He whispered into my neck and as fast as he had pinned me to the wall he was gone. He told everyone in his path to return home, and stay in during days without sun. Delly still sat forgotten on the same spot he dropped her, looking confused and a little shaken. Something nagged me at the back of my mind, and I rushed out of the bakery without sparing a second glance to the sobbing baker. 

"Peeta!" I called loudly, only once, but it was enough to get his attention. He stopped in his tracks, and turned to face me slowly. I ran to meet him, and stood scarcely a foot away from him, I couldn't bring myself to fear him for some inexplicable reason.

"What do you want Katniss?" he asked me harshly, "You shouldn't be here talking to me, I'm dangerous, a monster. I could do terrible things to you, it doesn't matter that you are tender and soft, I would ravish you until you begged for a repriev, and I'm not talking about drinking your blood," he sais menacingly, I had no idea what he meant, but I knew it wasn't an empty threat, he feared hurting me more than anything.

"Is that what you were going to do to Delly?" Was the first thing that came out of my open my mouth, and he shook his head violently. 

"Delly would have been just a meal. You on the other hand..." He trailed off, and his hand rose as if to touch my face, but his fingers merely hovered inches away, his face furrowing in pain, finally he closed his hand into a fist and dropped it to his side heavily. "You are the only good thing left in this godforsaken town. Don't set yourself up to be hurt, if were to..." He took a step back from me, "Everything I've ever done, was for you. To protect you. Please, stay away from me now." He turned his back on me and I couldn't let him go, not then, not like that. 

"Peeta!" I grabbed his arm, still muscle and fiber, but also unyielding and hard. "Lilian... She's... Your father... There's a baby coming!" I stuttered lamely; without even looking at me, he said over his shoulder.

"That's good. He will need children, now that I'm dead." And there was no inflection in his voice, he simply shrugged off my hold on him, and walked away so fast, it was like he was running. 

I thought that would be the most shocking encounter with Peeta Mellark, but I was never going to be prepared for the next surprise destiny had prepared for me, for us. But then again, the odds never seemed to be in our favor. 

 

To be continued... 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mistakes are still my property, but recognizable Characters are not. :) 
> 
> Happy Hunger Games everyone!!!

_TWANG_.

The satisfactory sound of my bow string filled my ears, when I released the arrow that lodged itself into the neck of the doe that stood grazing in the distance oblivious to our presence. Another arrow zoomed by, almost at the same time as mine, finding it's mark in the deer's chest.

The animal didn't even see it coming. Slowly the doe fell to the ground, and that's when Gale shook his fist in the air in victorious celebration. I simply rolled my eyes, and chuckled at his reaction. He was getting better at bow hunting, for sure.

"Well done, son!" I heard Papa praised his new pupil's accomplishment.

Papa took Gale under his wing, with the intention to teach him all he knew about hunting, gathering and finishing, when it was clear Gale's father, and my papa's best friend, was never going to make a recovery after the reaping debacle. It was a good thing Gale was a natural at all that; he took to the woods like fish to water, and his marksmanship was impressive.

Of course he wasn't as good as me, nobody was as good as me, not even Papa! I could usually run an arrow clean through a squirrel's eye when I needed to preserve a pelt; that I couldn't claim the doe as solely my kill was entirely my faul, I had reacted too competitively when we spotted the deer. If I had taken my time I could've stuck my arrow tip through her head, but Gale had seen it almost at the same time I did, and we just had the same thought: who'd bag the biggest prey? Petty, I know, but effective. I won't begrudge Gale the kill seeing as he almost never smiles anymore. 

"Thank you, sir." Gale murmured stoically, all the excitement of his kill vanished, predictably. 

Sometimes, I got the feeling Gale didn't quite liked my papa calling him _son_ , maybe the term made him miss his late father, I know I'd be a wreck without Papa; I guess Peeta was right about me needed Papa so much. But thinking of Peeta was just a bad thing to do, specially out in the lonely woods; you don't think of him unless you're ready to face him... those are the rules... Just... the sun was still high up and very warm, there was no danger in being outside on sunny days, and think of Peeta I did without much consideration, any given time. in hindsight, I'm glad I did call his presence with my thoughts that day.

"Alright children, let's see if we can bring this lady up to Ms. Rooba for butchering, what do you think?" Papa asked patting the carcass, eager to leave the woods now that we had a good enough haul, for all three of us to get a nice share of coin. Both Gale and I readily agreed; we had been at it for hours already, and we had all manner of goods to trade back in town, so heading back early sounded like a great idea. 

Once we managed to carry and drop off the deer to the butcher's, all three of us took a part of the spoils of the day and divvied up the trading stops: Papa got squirrels for the baker, Gale got the last pint of strawberries of the season for the mayor's daughter, and I got herbs and a small container with a honeycomb to be traded in the town's flee market, everyone knew as The Hob.

Usually, Gale would tag along with either Papa or myself, but it's been closed to six months of us teaching him the ropes, and Gale is savy when it comes to business deals, so Papa suggested he started trading on his own with simple stuff like someone's usual order and that kind of thing, just to get the feel and practice; I knew for a fact, he'd preferred haggling at the hob, problem was, Gale lacked finesse when talking to people, and Papa much rather keep things cordial with his clients... not that I was any less blunt in my trading, but somehow people simply accepted me as I was, probably they were just used to me. 

I made my way to the hob in very good spirits, the sun had slightly gotten down, and clouds were slowly rolling in, the changes were almost imperceptible, if not for the way our brains had been conditioned to notice this kind of weather phenomenon, everyone knew the importance of being home after dark. I picked up my pace just in case, our population hadn't suffered any unnatural loses in the last six months, still, it would not do to linger about tempting anything.

Peeta had never attacked anyone since becoming a vampire. It wasn't unheard of sightings of him roaming the edges of town on stormy and cloudy days, but very seldom, he ventured into populated areas. It was a well known fact that if a girl crossed his path and was willing to follow him to his manor, she would return a few days later, used and haggard, but alive and well fed.

Most of the girls would claimed they were tricked into doing _things_ with him, but when the same girls kept being seduced and lured into a vampire's bed repeatedly, the excuse loss validity, such were the cases of Delly Cartwright, Brystol Smith and Cressida Jones. The sight of the girls coming to town after obviously being with him, made my stomach sick and my heart hurt without fail, it didn't matter how many times it happened, the feeling was always the same.

I forced myself to stop thinking about it, I had enough to worry about as it was, to add an unnecessary call to the undead.

The hob was packed to the gills when I finally reached it. People speaking over each other as they tried to strike the best deals; I was unsure anyone had realized the gray clouds lazily crawling in to hide to sun, if they had, they wouldn't had been nearly as animated wasting time with chitchat and comparing products and whatnot. 

I approached my first stall, and traded the honeycomb to an old lady for some wax paper; my next stop was Greasy Sae's soup counter, where I traded most of my edible plants and roots. When Sae offered me a bowl of steaming opossum stew, I declined it, point a finger out the dusty window closest to us, she immediately nodded her understanding and sounded the alert to the neighboring stands, which did the same, until everyone in the market was aware of the obscuring sun. It was now time to wrap it up for the day.

My last stop was to Ripper's mooshine and white liquor stall, she was one of the very few that seemed to be sold out. I had the unfortunate luck to reach her counter at the same time as Cato Ludwid, a hunkering bully, the illegitimate son of late sheriff Cray. I should've sense the trouble right then, cut my loses and left well enough as it was, but my stubborn side wouldn't back down. 

Cato was bitter, angry and downright unpleasant any given day, but try and outbid him the last bottle of booze in town for the day, and you'd find yourself in trouble. I did exactly that. I ended up buying the last bottle of white liquor, and strolled carelessly out of the hob, as Cato followed me hollering all kinds of expletives and insults my way. If I had any common sense then, I would've stick to crowded areas, but the sun was almost obscure by then and the need to be indoors was mounting. 

I walked faster, but Cato was hot on my heels still screaming how I'd pay for _stealing_ from him... That last bit made my blood boil, so I turned around to face him head on and screamed right back at him. I shouldn't had, the road we were in was deserted, in fact we were isolated in that spot, nobody around to hear me scream for help.

"I didn't steal anything from you, Cato. I paid fair and square for that bottle of white liquor, and I actually need it for useful stuff, unlike you!" I said with disdain, he laughed at me and it made me angrier. 

"What useful thing can you do with liquor, but shove the contents down the throats of insolent little girls such as yourself; to teach them how to keep their big mouths shut?" He laughed again, and I was outraged at his words. 

"You are good for nothing drunk, Cato. Go away and get a lif..." I didn't get to finish my sentence before Cato had shoved me into a light pole, knocking the wind out of my lungs.

My back hurt so bad, and the base of my head pulsed in pain where it connected to the wood of the pole. In an instant Cato's overgrown body was writhing against mine, I could feel his hardness rub grotesquely against my belly, his rancid breath choked me as he grunted his next words so closed to my mouth and nose, I almost puked.

"I ought to show you what happens to little girls that run their mouths," His slimy tongue liked the side of my face, from my chin to my temple; I screwed my eyes shut and whimpered with fear, "I'm gonna teach you to respect men, little girl, since it seems, you think that just 'cause you're Katniss Everdeen and traipse around the forest with a bow and a couple of arrows, you are better than any other tail around... Well pussycat, you ain't,"

I had never been so scared for my own safety in my life, and I had Vampire done something very similar to this once, except, Peeta didn't squeeze my breast so painfully hard that it caused me to cry out, neither he lowered the zipper of his trousers as he pinned me to a street pole by the throat with his forearm. Yes, Cato was worse than vampire Peeta. Cato was going to rape me right then and there, and there wasn't a soul to hear my choked up cries of mercy. 

Suddenly there was lighting and thunder in the sky, and the weight of Cato's heavy body over mine was yanked away in a flash. My eyes had long been full of tears, it was a shock to open them and seeing the bulky body of my attacker fly across the road to collide with a brick wall on the other side. Then I saw a blur of blonde heads speed towards town square on the next road over. My knees gave way, and I nearly toppled over, I caught myself just in time to avoid falling on my face, to see people rushing back and forth in the direction I knew Peeta had taken Cato. I stumbled that same way on shaky legs as well. 

It was a terrifying show to witness. Cato's face was bloody and bruised, and Peeta was holding him the same way he had held me, by the neck against a tree trunk. Peeta was screaming at Cato so full of anger, and he could've brake him in half right there if he had wanted to, but Peeta wasn't like that, not even when driven by rage.

"The rules are simple! You don't abuse children, you don't rape women, you don't mistreat others, and above all, you do **not,** under any circumstances, touch Katniss Everdeen!" Peeta emphasized my last name by pulling Cato's body from the tree just enough, to smash it against it again. "She's fourteen!" Peeta yelled besides himself, effectively causing me to freeze in place, I barely noticed how a few people gaped at me, I was more concerned with hearing what else Peeta was saying about me, "She's pure! She's a good girl, and I won't have _anyone_ wreck that!"

He repeated his motion hitting my attacker's upper body against the tree bark, this time less forcefully, and Cato's head lulled forward, unconscious. At first, I thought he was even dead, but Peeta simply released his hold on the man, letting him fall to the ground like a sack of rocks. He turned his eyes towards newly appointed Sheriff Thom.

"Mister Sheriff, make sure this piece of trash finds comfortable accommodations in an isolated cell, back in jail." Then, he addressed the rest of the fearful onlookers, "Liers, cheaters and wrongdoers won't be tolerated in this town. If someone wants a girl, you have to earn her trust and affectio, you can't just force yourself on her, you can't attack other people like that! If ever I am alerted to any of that shit happening in my town again, I will deal with it swiftly. Now, on to your own business, show's over." 

Every person gathered in the square tripped over themselves and ran as fast as they possibly could to reach their own houses... except for me. It wasn't a conscious act, to stay rooted to the ground, watching Peeta in rapt fascination. I couldn't help myself when it came to him; I knew it was wrong and sick and inappropriate, but I was just so enthralled with the way his muscles moved under his shirt, or by his hands... I simply loved his hands, even when he was a baker I loved watching him working dough, I felt dizzy just watching him, none of that had changed since he came back as a deadly supernatural being, in fact my infatuation had intensified tenfold since.

Peeta was still facing away from me, and I was pathetically clutching at my arm as I ogled him. I hadn't realized how much my arm hurt until I tried to get closer to him around the crowd. But no one was there anymore, separating me from him, preventing me from reaching him; still he made no effort to look at me or even acknowledged my presence, until I spoke and forced him to stop ignoring me. 

"Umm... Thank you. For... back there." my voice sounded shaky and meek when it came out, I hated sounding so vulnerable in front of him. I didn't want to be perceived as prey.

His eyes were aflame as he turned them on me, only until he noticed my arm. He rushed to my side, to examined me from head to toe, then he spoke, and his tone was stern enough to be considered chiding, "It was stupid of you to provoke him." His voice hard and cold, "You can't put yourself in situations like that, Katniss, you just can't." I felt anger blind me again and ripped my already hurting arm from his hands angrily.

"I'm not some careless little child! He caught me off guard, if I had had my bow on me..."

"He would've overpower you and raped you anyway!" He yelled at me angrily, eyes turning fiery, but his anger only fueled mine.

"Well, your concern is moving! Too bad no one has ever stepped up to defend the girls you take!" I accused in the same tone.

"What? Is that what you think? That I somehow force girls to come home with me?" He shouted, and if I hadn't known better, I would've thought he was dismayed at my assumption. "I've never forced a girl to be with me, not while I was alive, much less now that I'm dead! I have no need or desire to lie about that, so rest assured, none of those girls had been tricked or manipulated to do anything they weren't compliant with!" 

"You still had sex with them!" I screamed thrusting an accusing finger into his chest, stomping my heels in the ground like petulant, indignant, little girl.

"I'm a vampire, Katniss! All my current existence revolves around feeding my basic needs, which are eating, fucking, and protecting you!" He yelled in my face throwing both his hands in the air. I was fascinated by the lack of control over his emotions he just showed, it made me think of him as being alive! not to mention he used the 'F' word while talking to me, and my mind ran off with the image the mere word had evoked... Did I ever before imagined what it was, Peeta did with those girls in the seclusion of his house? I was doing it then, and to my embarrassment it was me he was deflowering and I was thrilled with the thought. 

But Papa and Gale literally pulled me away from the daydream, and the strange physical proximity I had with such a dangerous creature... his hands were drenched in somebody's blood, after all, the blood of somebody that had purposely hurt me! Realizing we were not alone anymore, he finally looked up at the few stragglers around, and made a face towards Papa and Gale.

"Keep an eye on her! Or I'll kill the next man that dares look at her wrongly." Peeta gritted out from his barely showing fangs, "Specially you Hawthorne, if you aspire to be her husband one day, you better pay attention." He threw at Gale dismissively.

"We're just friends!" The words sprung out before I could even rationally think to form them, then ases hastily, "Gale doesn't even like me!" I sounded whiny and childish. Gale made an uncomfortable sound behind me, shifting on his feet, and Peeta laughed mirthlessly. 

"You are piece work, Katniss! You know that?" He shook his head at me, "Every boy in this fucking district has a thing for. _I_ have a thing for you, and I'm dead! But if you don't believe me, ask your old man what him and Hawthorne senior used joke about... your friend here, grew up with the idea of the two of you tying the knot one day. You should know it as well, you are expected to be someone's wife." He told me in a not very sweetly manner, and then he walked away, tossing over his shoulder, "Be careful next time, Katniss, I wont always spare your eyes the gore of my judgment."  

I stood there, staring and speechless, as he got farther and farther away. 

"That was highly inappropriate! The whole town is going to think that my little girl is involved with that... creature!" Snapped Papa, pulling me with him by the elbow. "I can't believe he just said all that to my baby girl!" 

"Everdeen, the boy is dead, everything about him is inappropriate," Interrupted Haymitch Abernathy, a high functioning drunkard if there ever was one.

Haymitch was one of the most trusted counselors at the mayor's office... Why did that fact didn't scare more people a little, is still a mystery to me; the truth was, when the man said something about anything, everyone listened, Papa included.

"Sadly," Haymitch continued, "The boy wasn't wrong," He grimaced in disgust, "Whatever happened, between Sweetheart over there and that son of bitch Cato, you gotta be glad your girl seems to have some effect over the undead, otherwise there's not knowing what could've happen to her." I shuddered at the thought of what could've been my fate if Peeta hadn't beat the lights out of that bastard Cato. "Everdeen," Haymitch said soberly, "Men look at your daughter and don't think of her as a little girl, not as you do. Men look at her, and see a trophy, a wild Amazon to be tamed. Now, with that notion in mind, does having people think that your little girl is special enough to make the vampire go into mutt mode with awakened ire, when her safety is threatened, still such a bad thing, old friend?" When Papa only shook his head slightly, Haymitch pulled a flask out of his pocket, took a pull from it and mumbled "Thought so." Passing the shiny metal flask to Papa, who accepted it and drank deeply from it.

Papa's arms embraced me, when I started trembling and couldn't hold still anymore. Haymitch tried to to give me a sad smile, taking back his flask from Papa, but I'm sure he hadn't smile in so long, his facial muscles couldn't work the motion right. "Look, Sweetheart," He directed at me next, "If it's any consolation, that fellow Cato won't see the light of day ever again. Our dear blood-sucker will see to that soon enough." Said the old drunk softening his usually gruff voice.

"What do you mean, old man?" Asked Gale impatiently. Haymitch looked away from us for a moment as if thinking of what to say, then he settled for a cryptic question after a healthy drag of whatever alcoholic beverage filled his flask, Papa seemed to find his answer enlightening.

"Have you ever thought about how garden snakes keep your house clear of vermin? No one likes snakes, more often than not, you'd complain about them, fear them even. But the creepy critters offer a service, and they do it silently enough, you don't have to think about it... same goes for spiders or even bats. Yeah, no one wants to see them in action, but they keep the house clean of worse pests." Haymitch returned his gray, tired eyes to us. "It's lucky for Sheriff Thom, that a few of his cells emptied recently; specially the ones comprising the death row section, otherwise, I'm not sure where he would've put old Cato Ludwid in."

"I think I can agree with you on that Mitch." Said Papa nodding his assent. "Beats the old system for sure."

"That it does, Everdeen... that it does." With a tip of his head and a half wave, Haymitch went home, and we followed suit. Gale was the first to break the heavy silence that had fallen on our little party.

"Did old man Abernathy meant to say, that the _leech_ is eating our inmates?" Asked Gale with a hardness in his voice I've never heard before. his question made my head click loudly as I turned it rapidly between him and Papa.

"Yeah," Was all Papa said for a while. "He seems to be feeding from people no one is missing. Harden criminals destined to die by our own justice syste, if I caught Haymitch's meaning right," Papa fell silent for a moment, sighing deeply before he finished his thought, "That's why no one in town has gone missing, or found mangled somewhere in the shadows, since he came back from his grave, Peeta Mellark has become waste managemen, no wonder he wants the citizens to lead an honest life." 

"Well, he's still taking advantage of our girls!" Spat Gale.

"He's not! Those girls go with him willingly," I assured firmly. "And they return home safe and sound!" 

"Oh yeah? And how would you know that Catnip? most of them come home saying how he ensnared them into going along with it, not many girls will admit to go voluntarily," Gale snapped at me.

"Exactly!" I snapped right back, "They're all liers, Gale. How can you explain returning to him at least once every week like Delly and Cressida do? Plus, Peeta just told me to my face, he's never forced anyone!" I answered angrily.

"And you believed him?" Gale practically screeched, "You're unbelievable, Catnip! You can't be so naive. He told you what you wanted to hear," Gale retorted dismissively, with a dry mirthless chuckle.

"And why would he do that? This is possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," I answered with a laugh of my own.

"He wants the same with you, he just admited he's got a thing for you, which means he wants you in his bed same as those other gi..." 

"That's so typical Gale-talk! Peeta's not like that, he's a good person..."

"Are you even listening to yourself? He's a fucking monster! A leech..."

"Don't call him a leech, his name is Peeta, and _if_ he had wanted me that way, he would've taken me the very first day, and since he doesn't eat his play things, I would've come back home, and wouldn't have lied about it..."

"ENOUGH!" Bellowed Papa when Gale and mine's argument spiraled out of control. "We're not talking about what happen today anymore, we'll just forget this unfortunate afternoon ever happened," he said calmly, and that was the very first time I realized Papa and I would no see eye to eye in every regard of life, it marked the very first time I spoke back and didn't feel guilty or ashamed about it, it actually felt great to speak my mind.

"Easy for you to say!" I gave both Papa and Gale a venomous glare, " _I_ won't be forgetting this day in a ver long time, in fact I'm glad mister Abernathy thinks Peeta will kill Cato... good riddance," I turned my back to them but before I could take my first step towards home, Papa's big, rough hand wrapped around my arm and spin me around to face him. He yelled right in my face, anger dripping from his every word.

"Katniss Everdeen, you will not wish a fellow human such a death, I will not have that level of callousness coming from my fourteen year old daughter!" And with those words, came the very first screaming match I held with Papa.

"Oh? Well, as it turns out, Cato isn't the discriminatory type, he didn't find fault with my age when he shoved me against a streetlight pole and ground his groin against me! So you'd have to excuse me if I'm not the forgiving kind, my fourteen year old breast might have a black bruise the size of Cato's hand and it still hurts like a bitch. So _you_ can be the one concern with Cato Ludwid's wellbeing... I'm just gonna rejoice on his punishment like the uncaring, selfish brat that I am." I felt sick satisfaction at Papa's and Gale's grossed out expressions.

Papa didn't even blink when I jerked my arm from his grasp, nor did he try to call me back to him when I stomp away. In fact it was Lilian Mellark to get my attention when I marched right in front of the bakery window.

"Katniss!" She called my name rushing out of her shop, I automatically stopped, she placed her soft hands on my shoulders and bent lower to my eye level. I was just a few inches shorter than her, but I appreciated the effort all the same, so when she asked me if I was alright, my already overwhelmed mind gave up and the tears flowed freely down my cheeks, accompanied by some awfully loud strangled noises; next thing I knew, I was openly sobbing and shaking, with my face buried in Lilian's warm chest, she smelled of vanilla and lavender, and her slender, delicate arms where new but comforting, and oh so welcomed in that moment. 

I felt Papa's proximity next. He placed his hands on my shoulders trying to pull me out of Lilian's embrace and into his own. Even though I was weeping, I registered the charged exchange between him and the very pregnant Mrs. Mellark all the same. 

"Thank you, Lilian. I'll take it from here." Papa's voice was smooth and warm, as she transferred my almost quiet form from her arms to his. My papa's voice sounded strange to my ears, I wasn't used to that tone at all, although I had heard it a couple of times already, always when he was addressing Lilian. And then it was as if he couldn't help it, "You look... Radiant,"  He breathed out.

"Thanks..." Her voice was breathy and soft as well, and for the first time I felt intrigued enough to stop feeling sorry for myself and tried and sneak a peek at the two of them. Lilian was blushing prettily and Papa had a dreamy expression on his face... I knew right then and there, something was amiss and no good would come from it, and I wasn't wrong.

 

 

It was my fifteenth birthday. The sun was shining brightly and the day was warm; Papa had suggested we got a birthday cake from the bakery, but I promptly refused it. I had taken it upon myself to keep Papa as far away from Mrs. Mellark as possible. She was married and very pregnant, but the way they looked at each other and acted around the other, was a bit too telling for my comfort. Allowing any closeness between them would end up badly and painfully... I was doing them a favor, I've decided.

Still, I had a couple of gifts sent to me in celebration of my special day, candy from the Hawthornes, a hair ribbon from Ms. Sae, a bouquet of wild flowers sloppily bunched together from a boy from my class, named Marvel that had been pestering me all year, and a bag of cookies from Mr. and Mrs. Mellark. What was unexpected, was the beautifully frosted cupcake left on my front step with no note and no hint of a sender.

If I had been prudent or remotely weary, I would've questioned it's origin and probably wouldn't had gobbled it down right away in one sitting as I did, but all that was going through my mind then, was that some expert froster made the most beautiful offering to me and I was going to enjoy it. I did take a few minutes to study the beautiful sugar replicas of my namesake flower. I counted exactly fifteen perfectly represented Katniss blossoms, tiny and painstakingly accurate sugar confections.

I was fascinated by the small decorations and even plucked a vine of the little flowers, to save in wax paper for posterity, but when I discovered the cupcake was my favorite flavor: vanilla batter filled with tart blackberry preserves, I grinned extravagantly as I sank my teeth in the fluffy dessert, thinking about the only person who could've guessed my unusual preference in flavors.

The day had been beautiful and perfect, just a hint of what summer would look like, and I was so very happy, until I came home from my school day to find there was a cake on the kitchen counter, and a pale rose shawl draped on the back of a chair. I knew it did not belong to me, I had no use for girly looking shawls, but one whiff of the vanilla and lavender scent from the soft cotton material, and I knew exactly who it belonged to.

I picked up the garment and marched out my front door furious. I had no idea what they were playing at, but I hated they were making _me_ an accomplice in it, using my birthday as an excuse to meet. Honestly, I wasn't up to being a piece in their game anymore. 

"Here," I said with steel in my voice as I dropped the pink fabric on the bakery counter in front of Lilian, she looked up at me with big, confused blue eyes, that turned scared as she realized what it was I had handed her. "You left this in my house, when you delivered my birthday cake." I said loud enough that there would be no doubt she had been in my house with a legitimate reason to be there, I liked the woman after all, I didn't want her to get in trouble, but I wanted her to know I was onto whatever it was she and Papa were doing, and I disapproved. 

"Thank you," She murmured quietly, grabbing her shawl and shoving it under the register stand. She wouldn't meet my eyes, and I didn't felt too sorry about it either, I realized, I was old enough to have an opinion, voice it and not care whether I was blunt or not. Papa and Lilian weren't children, so I had no use for kiddy gloves with them. 

"No problem, ma'am. Please thank _your husband_ from me for the delicious cookies. I appreciated them very much." I made a big emphasis on reminding her she was married, before departing, I didn't percieved any more misgivings from her or Papa for the two months that took her to have her baby, and then... All hell broke loose. 

 

 

During a late July afternoon, I decided to embark on a solo stroll into the woods. There had been a light shower in morning that cleared the skies nicely, and lifted all the uncomfortable heat of the summer sunbaked stones of the cobbled streets of town, in fact there had been a sweet breeze blowing all afternoon, and I thought it would be grand to have a few minutes for my own. I always found the woods peaceful and inviting on days like this, and although I had no intention to hunt, I brought my bow and arrows along just in case. 

I was only past the tree line that served as a natural border between the district and the wilderness, when I sense another person disturbing the quiet, following me into my sanctuary; my reaction was immediate, steady, and sure, I was not going to allow another Cato-like mishap, specially while armed, so when Marvel broke into the patch of forest I was in, he found himself staring into the tip of my arrow. 

"Jesus!" The boy exclaimed falling on his bottom and quickly crawling backwards to a small pine tree behind him. "God, Katniss, would you please lower that thing? It looks sharp as hell and very deadly!" He gasped, a mix of fear and annoyance in his voice. 

I kept my weapon trained on him for another half a minute or so, before slowly lowering it. "What are you doing here, Marvel? I could've shot you!" I snapped at him.

"No shit! I hadn't notice!" He gripped back standing up and gingerly brushing off the dirt from his backside, I couldn't help the small bout of giggles that seeing him like that brought on, while he shot me a glare in return.

"Well, that's what you get for sneaking on a hunter!" I said, and then there was Gale's deep voice calling my name in the distance. I could hear him dashing through the brush, and I simply groaned in dismay. There went my peaceful hour of solitary relaxation in the woods. 

"Catnip!" Gale appeared from behind the tree line, short of breath and looking worse for tear.

"Yes, Gale, I'm here." I smiled at him, but his distrustful eyes flew to Marvel and gave him an intimidating once over. At seventeen, Gale was over six feet tall, with a slender but muscular frame and could wield a bow and arrows effectively, he'd intimidate me if he weren't my friend.

"I know you are. I saw you coming into the woods, which by the way is already very irresponsible of you to do," He accused me with that hard stare of his, I opened my mouth to protest, but he barreled in without listening, "And then, I saw _him_ following you." He pointed at Marvel with a glare, "I had to come make sure you were alright, and to take you back home." Gale stated lifting his chin in challenge. Marvel looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but there.

Gale was simply standing in front of me, looking tense and ready to yank me out of the forest, so I patiently answered, "Well, I came to the woods for a moment of peace... _Alone_! Marvel? I have no idea what he's doing here, and then you showed up telling me I'm irresponsible. So, here we are." I looked at both of them with raised eyebrows, expecting answers of my own, Marvel spoke first, a bit defensive and annoyed.

"I came because I saw you entering the woods,  _alone_." He made quotation marks with his fingers as he said it, it was obvious he thought he was doing me a favor or something. I shrugged, because the woods were, quite literally my hunting grounds. 

"So? I come to the woods alone a lot. I don't know why are you too making a big deal out of it." I was exasperated by both of them, and was ready to leave them both behind.

"It's almost sunset time!" Exclaimed Marvel.

"It is a big deal, Catnip. It will be dark before you know it! It's irresponsible to be out here after sunset." 

"Oh, please! I can take care of myself..."

"For your information, Katniss, there's a vampire in town, and in case you don't know it, he eats cute little girls like you, when there's no sun out!" Retorted Marvel swinging his arms in the air. 

"Oh... Is that it? I'm not scared of him, he doesn't eat innocent people," I said innocently, and both boys looked at me as if I had sprouted an extra head. 

"What? Is that not enough reason to ask you to be more mindful, of where and when you're going places alone?" Snapped Gale. 

"Gale, you know better than anyone Peeta won't come after me. Unlike Snow, Peeta doesn't rape his victims to then discard them like they're trash, he said so publicly. I'm not scared of being alone in the dark, he won't attack me." I responded simply.

the truth was that I've never feared the dark at night, or the howl of the wind throught the canopy of trees above my head; I never feared being alone in the empty woods, because somehow, I always knew his unaturally shiny blue eyes followed my every move in here, in fact, knowing his supernatural gaze and ears were on me, made me bolder, daring, I wanted him to notice me. I didn't fear him at all, even when everything and everyone else did, all I did, was crave his attention.

Gale made a sound, whether he was annoyed or angry or losing patience, I wasn't sure, all I knew was that his hand was suddenly firmly wrapped around my elbow, and he was pulling me out of my sanctuary. I sighed in defeat, and allowed him to guide me back towards town. 

"Well, come on Marvel, you don't wanna be left behind in the dark, scary woods, with a dangerous vampire loose." I said sarcastically, but by the way he jumped to catch up with me and Gale's long strides, he wasn't very eager to tempt fate. 

With how inconvenienced I felt when my alone time got so rudely and unnecessarily interrupted by Marvel and Gale, I was certainly grateful for their meddling. Without them dragging me back into town, I would've missed the events that followed, and I wouldn't had been able to prevent what would've been the worse tragedy to ever touch my life. 

Gale's hand was still firmly planted around my arm, Marvel was still having to jog to keep up, and I was more allowing Gale to drag me along than putting any effort on walking on my own, but all that changed when we realized there was some commotion coming from the merchant center. I finally broke down, and put an effort into freeing myself from Gale's grasp, then I took of running towards the gasping crowd, the boys hot on my heels and protesting the whole time. 

But when I reached the mob reunited around the front of the bakery, people stared at me. Then one person shoved me back, grinding their teeth at me and harshly whispering "Go home girl, you'll make it worse for everyone."

I felt a knot of terror and bile rise up to my throat. All that person did was strengthened my resolve to find out what was happening up front.

I elbowed my way deeper into the crowd, one person hissed, "Don't do anything stupid, girl." Another person added, "Nothing you can do about it! Go home!" And they tried to shoved backwards, I fought my way away. A woman shook her head sadly, and with tears in her eyes told me, "You shouldn't witness that, it will mess you up in the head."

Well, now I had to get to the front of the line to see for myself what was so awful my seemingly puny eyes wouldn't be able to take, damned be the prickle of fear running down my spine, I had to know! And soon I had wiggled and wriggled my way to the very top, and boy I was glad I had, although the sight initially made me want to scream and cry and vomit all at the same time. 

Peeta had Papa against the side of the grocery store wall, very similarly as how it had been with Cato, except, he hadn't beat Papa up into a bloody, unconscious, mess. Then my tunnel vision, slowly expanded, allowing my brain to focused on the background, I registered Mr. Mellark's voice calling desperately to his son, praying for him to regain reason,  then I sense movement at Peeta's feet, slumped in a sobbing heap sat Lilian wearing only a slip and a thin robe, holding on for dear life to a small screeching bundle swaddled in blankets. The image forever imprinted in my mind, I rushed forward and slung myself at Peeta.

"Please! Please, whatever it is, please don't kill my father!" I cried out hanging from Peeta's arm that ended on a fist around Papa's neck.

"Bud... No... It fine..." Papa mustered to rasp... but how could anything be fine if Peeta's murderous stare was fully trained on my father, and he seemed to be savoring ripping his throat open?

Mr. Mellark tried to pry my hands off of his son's arm, but my nails had dug deep down into Peeta's solid skin. Only when I started kicking and screaming for the baker to let me go, Peeta seemed to realized I was there, and as it had been the first time, when it was Delly he was carrying in arms to certain death, he dropped Papa as soon as his eyes fixed on mine.

I was close enough to see all the new monstrous features on his face that were never shown in public, the long white fans he had been bearing at Papa, the way his blue irises were completely gone and replaced by black bottomless pits. I saw all the ugliness recede, his eyes were blue again, and his fangs almost normal size, although I think his canines would never shrink more than they had, just barely above the rest of his teeth. His darken expression cleared, and for a second, he looked troubled, but that too flitted away in a moment.

"Katniss..." His voice was harsh, terrifying, monster-like, not his own. But his eyes were staring deep into mine. Not everything was lost, he recognized me and he had let go of Papa for the time being... Now it was time for me to use his attention while I could, so I slid my hands from his arm to his torso, and onto his chest.

"Stay with me, don't go back to the darkness, stay with me..."

He closed his eyes mournfully, and whispered roughly, "Always," 

 

 

To be Continued...

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... This chapter got away from me when I started revising it. In fact it almost tripled in length, so I decided, to turn this little nugget into a mini fic. 
> 
> I know everyone is busy trying to keep up with the promo tour of MJ2, but, please leave a comment if you like my story, I will eternally appreciate it. 
> 
> Find me in tumblr, Alliswell21. Come say hi!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Errors happen in this fic, I claim them all!

A deadened silence had had fallen around us.

My hands, flat on the hard surface of what was Peeta's perfectly chiseled chest slid up, to caress his face in a soothing manner. To my astonishment, his head leaned into my touch, but a mere second later, he jerked back and away from me. I didn't have time to waddled in my hurt feelings about this blatant rejection of my caress, I had to think on my feet, to try and protect my papa from the horrific future that was sure to befall him if I didn't keep my head.

"Peeta, please whatever it is, don't harm him!" I begged in a rush, letting my hands fall listlessly to my sides. He turned to and fro, like a cage animal before growling menacingly and stalk-charging at me, 

"Katniss, move aside. Your father broke my rules and so did my dear step-mother, now both of them will pay," He said lowly in a dangerous warning, but I held my ground standing between Papa and Peeta, I extended my arms as wide as they went in an effort to shield my father, who coughed uncontrollably behind me trying to catch his breath. 

I knew that my efforts were futile and marginal at best, if Peeta was really inclined to kill Papa, he could very well sweep me aside with a flick of his fingers and get to him easily, but he didn't, I knew he wouldn't touch me, not to harm me in any case, and I was banking on that sliver of fondness he seemed he held for me, in order to save Papa and everyone else.

"No! Please!" I insisted, tears falling in earnest down my face. "Please, have some mercy. You told me, the reason you saved his life was so I wouldn't be left alone. Killing him now will still have the same effect, I'd be left fatherless," I reasoned as calmly as I could.

I saw his eyes narrowed for a moment while searching mine. Then he spoke almost in his normal voice, rage still palpable and raw underneath the forced calmness.

"Stay out of it, Katniss." He warned, but when I opened my mouth to plead with him once more, he lashed out. "I sacrificed my life for his! I died for him so he would keep you safe, happy, protected. Instead, he repays me by sleeping with my father's wife? And not just sleeping with her, but impregnating her?" He screamed releasing venom with his words.

I was speechless for a span of five seconds. I saw Lilian flinch and coward, out of the corner of my eye,  she held the bundle closer to her chest... _My sibling_ , I thought fleetingly.

I feared there had been some infatuation going on between her and Papa, but I didn't know they had actually gone so far as to lead on an affair, to say that I was confused and hurt by this discovery was an understatement, but Peeta's next words brought my attention back to the danger at hand; the feelings of disgust, betrayal and anger that had started to build, would have to wait until I knew for sure, I'd still have a father to be angry at in the morning.

"It's time now to impart the punishment for adultery," said Peeta without inflection, "Step aside."

"I'll go with you!" I screamed flapping my arms from side to side. "I'm yours to do as you please, you can  take me anywhere you want, and inflict on me whatever punishment you had in mind for them." My brain caught up with my mouth at the tail end of my blurt.

Papa cried out something like a plea for me to stop, but it was done, I only had one last request, "Just, please leave them all out of this." I begged, "Let them live with whatever shame the will carry... Please," Peeta staggered backwards as if my bargain had slapped him in the face with great force. He recuperated quite fast, 

"No! Absolutely not. You... You can't do that!" He told me, advancing closer to me after regaining his bearings.

"You said yourself, if my father dies, I'm done for. I won't have anyone else in the world..."

"The child is to go to you. You'll be her mother now!" He said as if his command was law, but a whole new set of fears filled me entirely.

"Peeta, I know nothing about babies. How can I be a mother?" and then it registered, "Her?" I momentarily turned to face Lilian seeking confirmation, but she was still huddled in a small ball with her face downcasted, she only tightened her hold on my sister's tiny body. And then I faced him again, "She's a new born, Peeta. She needs her momma to survive. I can't feed her what she needs. Please, I'll do whatever else you want, please spare _them_ ," I gestured a hand to Papa and Lilian.

"Listen to her son, please, see reason." Begged Mr. Mellark then, blocking Lilian and the baby from our sight behind his broad frame.

"Katniss sweetie, please, let the man do as he must, I won't fight him. I understand I messed up..."

"It was only once after I married your father... I went back to him right away, I swear, I never thought the child would be his..."

Papa and Lilian spoke at the same time, it was overwhelming listening to them; their voices grated on my nerves to the point, I almost yelled to shut up and stopped interfering with my trade, but Peeta took care of it for me. 

"Silence! It doesn't matter anymore." Peeta's pupils grew almost to the point of obscuring his irises once more, before fixing his gaze on me. I tried one last time, for mercy, for a reprieve.

"I swear to you, I'll do anything you want, please, take me in their place," my voice was barely above a whisper. Peeta looked at Papa behind me for a moment, deliberating on his decision.

Papa begged to be killed, so I wouldn't have to go with Peeta, and I was about to snap at him, telling him I wouldn't have found myself in that predicament if he had been an honest man... Or at the very least, smart about his dalliance with a married woman.

"Fine!" growled Peeta, silencing everything around us. "Since master Everdeen's biggest fear is to lose his daughter to a monster such as me, then that's exactly what will happen," He said evenly, stroking his chin as if thinking it through, "A child was taken from my father in exchanged for mister Everdeen's life, it's only fair, a child will be taken away from him for his other child and whore!" He said in a harsh voice.

I was flabbergasted by this turn of events, by the way he looked, cool and collected, ruthless and calculating. He combed his fingers through his golden hair, before clearing his throat, the he threw his hardest punch yet, "Katniss Everdeen will be expected to become my property as soon as she's eighteen years of age. She'd be expected to leave her father and home, to come to my manor forevermore,"

He took a pause and paced in front of me, one arm behind his back while the other made slow gestures, as if he was explaining big, profound plans. "Meanwhile," He stopped, and turned his gaze to the crowd, before resuming his pacing, finally bringing his gaze to me, "Katniss will serve as mother to her baby sister, until time comes to join me. Lastly, father you are to discard the cheating woman, she doesn't deserve your love or pity. That is all!" He said and suddenly the rest of the town jumped on their feet as he addressed them directly, "Now, all of you, go home, unless you want to accompany me for supper tonight!"

No one had to be told twice, the streets emptied in less than three minutes. The only remaining people outside were either Mellarks, Everdeens or one Gale Hawthorne, who looked despondent and numb. I guess Peeta was right, maybe Gale didn't opposed to the idea of a future were he would marry and form a family with me... Oh, well, better to get the illusion squashed sooner than later.

It wasn't as if I had dreams about a husband and children and a house of my own; I doubt it would've ever happen that way anyway, but now I was painfully aware that the dream I never had, was no longer even a remote possibility. Not even if I wanted it. So, being that baby's mother, didn't sound as bad and terrifying anymore.

I knelt next to Lilian, and gently, untangled the baby from her arms. I felt like a heartless bitch doing so, when her wails and sobs filled the falling night. Her desperation was like a knife being plunged and twisted into my chest, but I knew I had done as much as I could for her and for my papa. The baby was _my_ responsibility now, and I had to start thinking about how to get her fed and clothed and... Raised.

Papa was no help at the moment. He sat with his back pressed against the brick wall of the grocers, his face buried in his hands. He had virtually lost everything that evening, his dignity, his daughters, his lover. I felt anger and hurt course through me as I looked down at him, so I hardened my resolve and stood above him, extending my arm to him to grasp.

"Stand up, is time to go." I told him with ice in my voice. Papa looked up at me, and flinched at my expression.

"I'm... so, sorry, bud... I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Papa stuttered between tears, the more he talked the angrier I felt. But Mr. Mellark spoke before my mouth allowed all the fire I had inside me, burn my father alive.

"Please Katniss, take Lilian with you. Her family just ran into their shop and locked the doors," The baker's voice was sad and quivery. The fact that Lilian's parents had run and locked her out of their home, could only mean that they were shunning their only daughter, which also meant, she had nowhere else to go. "I will start divorce procedures first thing tomorrow morning, but..." He looked nervously at Peeta who still lingered about, seemingly supervising our exchange, "I don't want anything bad to happen to her. Whatever she did, I... I still love her, you know."

I sighed, it wasn't like I had a choice. "I'll take her. The baby will need her milk anyway. It only makes sense..."

"Lilian is not your concern Katniss!" Bit Peeta.

"She is now that you've displaced her publicly!" I snapped back. "Plus, as I said, she's the one with breast milk. I need her."

"Fine!"

"Fine!" I hadn't realized how closed to him I was, so I took a step back from him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take home my newly acquired burden!" I didn't mean to sound so bitter, so mean, but I was being saddled with responsibilities beyond my qualifications, beyond my skills and abilities, I was completely ill equipped for this, but in a sense, I had asked for it. I just hoped Papa would snap out of it and take charge of his life once more. 

I noticed Gale's face had regained some of his natural color, so I called him to me. "Gale, please help Papa and Lilian to their feet, we need to go." I said flatly, he only nodded and did as I bid. 

"Wait!" Called Mr. Mellark, "She... They, will need clothes and... Their stuff. I-I can bring the crib, and some other things we had collected for the baby." He said with the outmost pain in his voice, I've ever heard. He sounded as betrayed and broken, as I felt angered and forced into a position I wasn't prepared to assume. 

My voice softened as I spoke to him, "Mister Mellark, I can't take your possessions, it's not right under the circumstances..." 

"Katniss, dear, I have no use for them. My family is all gone, and I doubt I have it in me to start again at this point in my life." 

Why did everything had to be so hard? I reluctantly accepted the furnishings and baby clothes, Lilian was to return for her possessions the next day. I was too tired and too weary to give a damn if she'd be shamed into collecting her things from her former home in broad daylight. 

Suddenly, I realized it was the dead of night and I was carefully walking home in the dark, carrying a sleeping newborn girl in my arms, praying she wouldn't wake... ever... or at least until I had figured out how to care for her properly. 

"I hear they aren't as hard as they seemed." His deep voice came from really close behind me.

I wish I could say it frightened me, but it didn't. It excited me to know he had followed me home... To protect me of what, only he knew. He was the most dangerous thing around, and he was being perfectly tame as he fell into step next to me. 

"Are you reading my mind now?" I asked curiously. 

"No," He laughed, "You just huffed that out loud, but I guess you didn't even know it," He got me there, I had no idea I had said any of my internal thoughts out loud,  "You do tend to whisper things to yourself a lot," he added with a crooked smirk, "Sometime, the things you whisper, are cringe worthy things," He said smiling mischievously at me. 

"Like what?" I was starting to realized I lacked a filter when he was around. 

"All manner of things." He said amusedly. I must've given him some kind of look, because he grinned at me, perfectly straight white teeth, except for those barely longer fangs. "I know you wish you were born a boy, I also I know you wished you were able to run away from here," his smile turned guilty, "And, you also wish your breast were bigger, like... Um... Like..."

"Delly's?" I offered shrugging, willing my heart to relax its beating. 

"Yeah," He rasped uncomfortably. "And, um, let me assure you, you're perfect the way you are." He said firmly. Both his hands clasped behind his back, and his back straight and proud, he was trying to act like a gentleman, I could tell, but unlike the old Peeta, this version of him couldn't help but to strut like a preener. Undead Peeta was aware of his good looks, and I was unsure if I should be offended or happy that he was trying to be so proper around me, he had no qualms using his charm on older girls.  

"How can you be so sure I'm perfect, if you've never seen me?" I asked, I knew I was crossing some kind of line with that question, and I was convinced that my face was as red as the strawberries I usually picked for the mayor and his family, but I wanted him to know that I was not a little girl anymore. 

"I... I-I just know," he stuttered quietly, if I didn't know better I would said he was embarrassed. "Look, Katniss, I just want you to know, that whatever deal we forged tonight... Well, you are free to negotiate the terms, when time comes nearer. I wont _ever_ hurt you, or use you in any way... Or..." He seemed really flustered then.

He took a moment to collect himself, and finally said, "I just wanted to tell you, that I vow to respect you and protect you. You can do whatever you want from this moment onward, and even when time comes, you will have free range to come and go as you please... I just, I had to stop you from offering something you would regret later." He said reverently, with the severity of confirming an oath. 

"Peeta, is alright. I wanted to save my father, and his baby... I will be fine, as long as they're safe." He stopped me, by holding on to my arm.

"Katniss, I've felt like a monster for longer than I've been... This." he motioned his free hand to show himself, "I will never be able to tell you how ashamed I was to have harbored certain feelings for you when I was alive, that were completely wrong and inappropriate. But, since becoming what I am now, the only thing that has the ability to reel the monster in, subdue it and keep it at bay... It's you."

He started to become agitated, but I still let him speak, because I had no idea of what to say to that little confession.

"I'm so scared, Katniss. Terrified, that if something ever happens to you, that if you lose that wide-eye, purity, innocent quality you have to yourself, I will completely lose myself to the darkness, to the monster. You... You ground me. You keep me human, if only by extension. So, I have to preserve you as you are right now, pure, innocent, faultless..." I interrupted him, because I was feeling claustrophobic with the weight of his words, and I told him as much.

"Peeta, that's too big a responsibility you are entrusting me with. I mean, I'm honored you think so highly of me and all, but..." I felt uneasy and hot all suddenly, "You can't expect me to stay a little girl permanently, I'm fifteen, I'm not saying I know how the world works or anything, but, I'm less innocent now than I was two hours ago! It's part of growing up. And when I'm eighteen or twenty or whatever age you decide is old enough to move in with you... well... you will want to, you know..." I said feeling a rush of blood fill my cheeks.

"No... I don't know." Peeta said hardening his expression, he damned well knew, but he refused to admit it.

I left a loud groan out, "You do know." I said in exasperation, "When I become your next Delly or Cressida, I'll stop being innocent or whatever, I won't be pure anymore, and that's alright, I..." I took a shaky breath, "I'll do whatever you want me to do. I won't be scared, I won't lie about it like the other girls, I'll be..." 

"Stop! Stop it right there. No. I won't be doing that with you. You're... You-you are only fifteen!" He stammered, and practically shouted at the same time. 

"Yes, and I was fourteen when you... Died. And you were twenty one or something when you came back. You won't age. But I will, I am! The time when I'm older than you will come quickly, and then what? Unless you plan on turning me into one like you, I don't see how you'll stop the time of the living!" I snapped back at him. It was impressive how much sense I made when I talked to him, and he seemed to be at a loss for words. "Now, I need to get Baby home before the both of us catch something." 

"Katniss... I... I don't know how to turn people into monsters like me, but even if knew, I would never wish that burden on you," for the first time in his life... Or afterlife, he reached a hand to caress my face.

The gesture so gentle, so soft, I wished he was alive, because I remember shaking his hand once when I was a kid, and his hands were so warm then, but now, his skin is cool to the touch. I sighed, because I truly wished he had a heartbeat and a pulse, and his blood flow was sending warmth through his arms, ending in his hands. It startled me, how much I could miss something I never had in my life.

The sudden sensation of loss, the helplessness of knowing something was never to be, lost forever, the emptiness of grief took a hold of me, leaving me breathless and dizzy. I felt like my heart had been ripped apart, and a deep feeling of longing and regret took its place in my chest, making it hurt and feeling like a vacuum. I had no idea what was it that I felt, but, his voice was so urgent, so scared, so worried... It was unreal. To this day, the best explanation I can give to the moment, is that I felt like losing him all over again, although I never had him. It was more like grieving a future we would never have, a future that was dead even before it had a chance to bloom, and that notion overwhelmed my senses completely.

"Katniss, sweetie, was wrong? Why are you crying like this? Did I do something? Please, baby, speak... I need you to speak! You have to calm down and tell me what did I do," He pleaded and tugged me to him, until finally, I bursted out my one big regret.

"I loved you... so much... all my life... and I never got to tell you!" I said between bouts of ugly sobs and an embarrassing hiccuping fit. "I wish I'd told you, I don't care if you'd had laughed in my face, I should've told you when I had the chance."

"Oh, Katniss..." But I can't hear his condesending attempts at  consolation, I talked over his voice.

I know he kept attempting to break through to me, but I was on a word vomiting roll, and there was no stopping the crazy avalanche of frustration, fears and hopeless broken dreams I had repressed for so long.

"I loved you, and if ever I dreamt of having a husband, that was you... And now you are dead, and I lost my chance, and you hate my father because all of this is his fault, and I can't blame you, I'm pretty angry myself, but now I'll never know what it would feel like to kiss you, and to make love to you, and bear your children, and I didn't even know I wanted children, and how messed up is all this, that I still want all that no matter that you are vampire, and you can actually kill me right now, and I hate all the girls you have sex with, because you are supposed to be alive and waiting for me to turn eighteen so you can have sex with me... And... Oh God! I can't believe I just said all that... And... Oh, no... The baby is crying now... I made the baby cry... I'm worthless, I can't be a mother, I have no idea how to be one, I never had one, And how could my father fucked up everything so badly? I wish I had been the one to kill Sno..."

Quiet. 

Blessed, beautiful, priceless, quiet. 

I woke up in my bed the next morning, Baby asleep right next to me in her bassinet. I rubbed a hand over my face and groaned loudly, quickly covering my mouth with my hand to stifle the sound. 

"Hi there," A clap of thunder rolled in the distance. I shoot up to a sitting position at the sound of Peeta's voice... _In my bedroom_. He lifted his hands in a placating gesture, and I fell back against the headboard of my bed with a dull thud. "It's only the three of us here right now," He whispered. "Your father and the woman are out. They're not supposed to know I can let myself inside the house anyway. That'll ruin things, and I like being able to see you sleep." He said quietly, his face was set in a blank mask that I couldn't read. "You know, sleep improves your looks greatly, if that's even possible... You don't scowl as much when you are unconscious," that of course earned him a scowl, and a hint of a smile broke at his lips.

"What happened last night?" I asked narrowing my eyes at him suspiciously. 

"I kissed you to shut your yapping," he said matter of factly, not much emotion behind the words. "You worked yourself up into a fit, you couldn't breath, I panicked, so I scooped you up and rushed you here. You passed out in my arms." There was a hint of a frown on his face, it didn't clear up for a bit. "The Hawthorne boy was here and took you from me, but, I managed to get permission from your old man to step inside... Just he doesn't know, I didn't come in and hope we can keep it a secret that I can enter your dwelling." His blue intense eyes indicated, that it wasn't really a request, "I just waited until I was told you were safely in bed. The woman managed to wake you up long enough to eat something, and then gave you sleeping syrup." A bag of stones conveyed more emotion than his monotone voice. 

I wanted to ask him how he managed to trick my father into inviting him inside, because the notion that it could be that easy to trick someone into extending and invitation to a vampire into your home was a bit terrifying, but my brain had a life of its own, and latched to the most inconsequential of words, from his whole spiel.

"The woman? Really? _The woman_ has a name. Her name is Lilian, you even used once last night. I understand you are mad at her, or offended or whatever is your deal, but, please call her by her name... It sounds rude somehow." I told him, he shrugged in response.

"Any way, I came to check on you and the little thing," he said jutting his chin in the direction of the bassinet. "For some strange reason, I think of her as our baby. Yours and mine." He said betraying longing in his voice. "We need to name her. We can't keep calling her 'Baby'" 

"Mmm..." I inched my way to peek over the lip of the basket, and see the child for the first time, actually see her. It had been dark before, and with all the events of the night, I only had a quick glance at her.

But, now that I was light out, and things were finally settled, I took my fill of watching her. I was in love! She had round rosy cheeks, a tuff of blonde hair atop her tiny head and a itty bitty little nose, that was too cute to be real; her lips were so small and pink and her whole head was small enough to fit in my palm, which wasn't big at all. "It has to be something cute," I mused, "She's cute." I whispered dipping a finger to caress her round cheek.

She smacked her lips together and yawned lazily. I giggled, and Peeta was next to me in the bed when I leaned in and picked her up into my arms, I settled back with her in the mattress with my legs cross-crossed. Peeta smiled placidly at my sleeping sister, and I could see how this could be our little family, our child looking just like her daddy... then question started to nag at me, before I could formulate it in my head, it was out of my mouth.

"Peeta... how come you are so sure this kid belongs to my father, and not yours?" I leaned into his side comfortably waiting for his answer... I figured, since last night's confessions, we were past shyness. "I mean, look at her," I said bending my knees upwards, placing the baby in the natural grove formed by thighs closed together and cradling her head on my knees, effectively placing her in display for the both of us. "She doesn't resemble anyone, really, and her hair is very blonde." I pointed out in my most matter of fact tone. 

He sounded pensive, "Mmm..." Then emitted a noncommittal sound, so I peered up at him from my spot, where I had migrated to lean my shoulder against his chest. "I came to see her when I realized she had been born, but... Her scent, it was all wrong." He said as if that cleared all the confusion up, so stared at him with a questioning look, prompting him to keep on talking with a nod. 

"Her scent..." I said trailing off, since more explanation was not forthcoming.

He gave me an annoyed glare, but finally elaborated. "She smelled like you," his tone blunt and a bit flustered at the same time. "And then I realized, you smelled partly like your father, so... It wasn't all that hard to deduce what had happened after that," He shrugged, sounding more confident, "I felt terrible for my dad, and then I was suddenly blinded by rage. Your father just happened to be around there when I left the bakery. It was more like a 'wrong place at the wrong time' situation for him, not that it would've mattered, I was on my way to find him anyway. I'm sorry I almost forced you watch me murder your father in front of the whole district." He said letting his forehead fall on the top of my head. He groaned, "I'm glad you stopped me, I don't think I would've been able to keep going knowing I took your family away."

I was still a little confused about the whole scent thing, and since it was easier ignoring the rest of the story, I held Baby's head up to my nose and inhaled her scent deeply. Peeta was wrong, she smelled nothing like me. The girl smelled of cuteness and pink cheeks and baby, not like me at all.

I must've been very obvious in my attempt, because he chuckled and straightened away from me, "Um, I don't think you'd be able to discern the same smells I do." But not sooner he said those words, his face then scrunched up into a frown, "I... Uh... I'm familiar with your... heartbeat." He settled on after floundering for a word for a long moment. "She's got the same strength and rythmn as you do. That's how I knew she was yours, and not a Mellark,"

"You can smell my blood? You can hear my heartbeat?" I asked and to my own shame, felt nauseated and fearful of him for the first time since knowing what he was. Of course a vampire will know all about living pulses, it was just embarrassing that he knew when my heartbeat accelerated because of him. I did managed to not spring out of the bed, and away from him, which was a lot under the circumstances, it still made me feel uneasy to hear him talk about his ability to know the inner workings of my body.

"Y-yeah," he said to the floorboards of my bedroom. "I'm only familiar with a few people's scents, dad's, Lilian's... um..."

"Delly's, Brystol's, and company?" I said sarcastically, feeling anger, hurt and something ugly and uncomfortable in the pit of my stomach... was it jealousy?. He nodded reluctantly, still not looking at me.

"But... your heartbeat..." he paused and finally looked at me, "Your heartbeat I can feel reverberating in my own chest," he said earnestly, "In town's square, even filled with pulsing bodies, veins with loud flowing blood streams, I can always hear your heartbeat distinctivel, above the other people around, above every other smell, I can always find you by ear."

"Peeta, I... I don't know what..." I started, but he shook his head.

"When you're around... I can almost feel like I'm breathing again. Every time you inhale and exhale, I feel the pattern, it's like my chest rises and falls in tandem with yours... It's like being alive again." His eyes were so blue, they seemed alive, and I wanted him to kiss me so badly, but the baby made a noise and the moment was broken. He sat up straighter and opened up a space between our bodies, that had been narrowing closer together the longer we sat there. 

"So..." I said trying to bring attention back to my sister, in an effort to clear the disappointment I felt. "What do you think, about Rose?" I asked rocking the baby in my arms. Peeta sat closer then, so close my back almost touched his chest. 

"Nah. Snow smelled like roses and blood, I don't wanna be reminded of him by my own adoptive daughter." He said wrinkling his nose adorably. "The manor has this huge greenhouse, filled to the gills with roses of every shade. The man was obssessed with the flowers. I think I'd puke if I ever smell another rose again," He did looked nauseated as he spoke. 

"Fine! You hate roses, I get it." I chuckled at him, he only gave me a half smirk. 

"But you like roses..." He said thinking. And then he jumped out of the bed, "I'll be right back! Don't go anywhere." He kissed the crown of my head and rushed out the door before I could ask him where he was going. 

It literally took him ten minutes to return. He tapped the glass of my window, and I opened it gingerly, while I held the child with my other hand. In the ten minutes it took him to come back, I had only managed to check on the clock next to my bed, finding it was almost noon, then I looked out the window to see the sky was completely covered under a blanket of dark gray clouds, and sat the baby next to me while I brushed and braided my hair. 

I smiled when I saw Peeta standing outside my window, a whole bush of yellow flowers hanging from his usually pristine hands. 

"For her!" He said pointing at the baby in my arms, "I was thinking, we can plant some of the bushes along the side of the house. What do you think?" He asked eagerly. I looked at flowers again, and my smile grew wider. 

"I like it." I said softly, smiling down at my sister... My child... "I think it's perfect!" I told him holding his free hand in mine through the open window, then looking down at the baby, I cooed, "Hi Primrose, it's so nice to meet you. I'm your big sister, but you're _my_ baby!" 

 

 

Primrose Everdeen, was a precious little blessing. I never knew how much love something so small could elicit from a person. Her huge blue eyes and downy blonde hair belonged to Lilian, but the rest of her features where Everdeen. She was such a good baby, always slept long hours at night, almost never fussed, ate healthy portions, had exactly one soiled diaper a day and always while I was away at school, and she smiled and giggled all the time. She was perfect! 

I did not mind in the least taking her with me everywhere I went. Specially when she was old enough to smile at people, and babbled all cute and sweetly. No one dared say anything about her origins, at least to my face. But both Papa and Lilian where still treated like low class citizens in town, even though it had been about ten months since the truth had come to light. 

Peeta did plant primrose bushes all around the perimeter of the house. If Papa or Lilian felt unnerved by his presence outside, they didn't voice it and if they were to, I already knew what would my response be: I was his property. I was just there on borrowed time, and time was not slowing down for me, so everyone might as well, get used to him being around.

Peeta only came back into my house a handful of times since the first time, usually at the dead of night, when everyone was asleep, he'd sneak in and perched on a chair next to my bed, and simply watched me and Prim sleep. It was a little weird at first, but now I'm mostly used to his silent, shadow like presence in the slumber hours, we seldom talk much during those times, and he's always gone before sunrise. But now even Prim is comfortable with him around.

He never kissed me again either, which I regretted dearly, since I had no memory of that fabled kiss he gave me to stop my meltodown ramblings, and I really wanted to be kissed by him; instead, Peeta started to be more affectionate with me and Prim. Still, a girl has hopes.

We still treated the whole baby thing as if it was our own secret little family; of course, Papa and Lilian are Prim's parents before the law and biologically, but at the eyes of the townsfolk, Prim was mine. I think it made everyone more comfortable to pretend a fifteen year old girl was the mother of a child, than to acknowledge the glaring truth, specially after the Mellark divorce came through, and Papa and Lilian eventually married each other. 

But, with Papa and his new wife shunned, and a nine and half month old baby to feed, I had to become primary breadwinner... Or at least the one to do all the tradings and shopping, to bring food and other necessities to the table.

The whole situation was highly hypocritical in my opinion. Papa was still the main hunter in our party of three, and since Lilian came to live with us, she had taught us all about medicinal herbs, which in addition to the edible plants and roots we already gathered, had helped boost our earnings, that without mentioning she could make remedies and poultices with the herbs, and we sold them for a pretty coin. People were still benefiting from their work, they just didn't want to see or talk to them.

People only wanted to deal and trade with me, and I think Gale was secretly ecstatic about it, because that meant he got to do more trading as well as a result. So we settled into a new rhythm, a new normal, and a new pace. Life was starting to feel good again, and I was grateful for it.

I hadn't thought much on celebrating my sixteenth birthday, because unlike the previous year, I could count with the fingers of one hand the people that would actually care enough, or not be scared to death to approach me, to want to wish me a happy birthday. Even Marvel that still on the odd occasion would be watching me longingly, had been keeping his distance since Peeta had demanded I came to live with him in a few years time. Knowing that someone belongs to a vampire had that isolating effect. 

I still didn't feel scared about the prospect of living with Peeta. Yes, he was a supernatural being who drank human blood for nourishment, he still had girls ' _sleepover'_  (because it was an 'instinct' thing and he couldn't help it, apparently... Roll eyes here!) but more discreetly, now that he knew how much it bothered me to see his mistresses come and go flaunting their deeds in front of the whole town, and he still terrified people around him without giving them a reason to; but when he was with me, he was just Peeta, a perfectly normal young man... that had no heartbeat... But, hey, no body is perfect! 

The afternoon of my birthday arrived without pomp and circumstance, as I had predicted it, and outwardly it was alright; I didn't need a big to do about myself. I hated being the center of attention. There was enough controversy surrounding me to last me a life time, I didn't need more notoriety. But, I would be lying if I said it didn't sting people were too afraid to actually associate with me because of who I was and who my relations were.

I felt isolated and a bit misplaced, so I was more than surprised when I reached the bakery that afternoon, and was presented with an enormous, beautifully decorated Sweet Sixteen birthday cake. Only one person would've cared enough to ordered me a cake covered in elaborate sugar katnisses and primroses, because the was no way in hell this was from Papa.

Neither Papa or Lilian  _ever_ went into the bakery. That wasn't to say we had any shortage of baked goods back home, on contrary, Mr. Mellark felt responsible for me after what had transpired with the adults in my life, he was always giving me his best loaves and pastries no matter how much I protested.

His go-to pretext for loading my game bag with food always being, the least he could do for the only person able to tame his son was to keep me fed. Plus he felt guilty his undead son had a claim on me, a young, sweet girl that used to have her whole life ahead of her. I swear, the man was more concerned about a future that was never going to survive than me. 

One thing I quickly learn about the baker, was that he was a good... No, a _great_ human being, that loved regardless of his being reciprocated. Mr. Mellark never asked about Lilian. It was as much a sore subject for me as it was for him. At first I thought he was shunning the both of them too, which I actually understood seeing as he was the affronted party, but my heart always constricted and twisted in place for the kind baker, every time I discovered a small token of his unrequited affection towards my step-mother. Flaxseed cookies made their way to the bottom of my bags of baked goods, more often than not. The cookies were never for me.

The very first time I found them, I took a bite off of one, and regretted it immediately. I noticed the little white paper bad the treats came in. It was printed with some words... instructions, I finally learned. I've never heard of cookies that came with instructions as how to eat them, and I was intrigued. After reading, I realized the cookies were for lactating mothers, not for babyless teenagers. Something in the recipe, made it so mothers would produce more milk while breastfeeding, I wasn't all too sure if the cookies helped or not, but Prim surely benefited from it, so I was grateful.

Even after all the betrayal, Mr. Mellark was still looking after his ex-wife. I never mentioned the cookies to him, and I never told my folks where (or from whom) exactly the breast milk producing treats came from. It was our little secret, and no one needed to know about it, just like he didn't mentioned who the cake was from, even though it was clear to me. We worked that way, me and the baker, in silent understanding. 

It was only after Prim was born, that Papa told me the whole story about him and Lilian.

They had fallen in love long before she married the baker, long before the fire that claimed Peeta's mother and brothers and their family business; Papa and Lilian had started a tentative little romance before the accident at the bakery; Papa asked her to marry him, but her parents disaproved of him, and she had been to much of a coward to stand up for herself and deffend her choice in front of her family. But, when the baker proposed and her family gave their blessing, she thought, marrying the baker was what she was supposed to do. 

I resented Lilian for all the hurt she had caused all the men I had come to care for, because her actions had tainted even my friendship with Gale, indirectly, but effectively. If only she had done the right thing once, the story would be different now. She had so many options to chose to avoid her current situation, she could've married Papa from the beginning, or she could've refused to marry the baker, or she could've not cheated on her husband, but time and again she chose all the wrong things, leaving a path of pain in her wake. 

"It's just the power a woman can have," said Gale one day I was complaining about it. I think he meant to throw me a jab at me with the comment, but I decided to ignore him.

Now I was facing kind, heartbroken and fatherly Mr. Mellark, and all the resentment towards Lilian and Papa threatened to drown me. How could they had been so selfish and reckless? They dragged us all with them, even innocent little Prim had been sprinkled with the consequences of their mistakes. 

"Happy sixteenth birthday, Katniss dear. I hope you have a great day." The baker said with an easy smile as he presented me with his frosted creation, "I would have sent Mitchell to deliver it to you at home, but I wasn't sure your father would've accepted it." He said with a heaviness in his voice that I hated. Yet, one more reason to hate my step-mother, Mr. Mellark had to hired an apprenticed or his business would die with him, hence, Mitchell.

"It's alright, I'll send Rory and Vick Hawthorne by in a little bit to pick it up..."

"That won't be necessary. I will bring it over to your house personally," said the smooth, deep voice that always made my knees wobble. I didn't have to turn around to see him. And for the first time ever, he placed his hands on my waist, in front of a handful of bakery customers, in a possessive manner.

Since I was sixteen, I was considered old enough to entered a courting relationship. Most girls would be marrying between the ages of eighteen and twenty two, which meant that by age sixteen, was not uncommon to be in an official understanding between a man and a young lady, for a future marriage. In my case, Peeta had made it abundantly clear he wouldn't pursue a sexual relationship, no matter how willing I was, but all the same, it was now 'acceptable' for him to act as if we were romantically involved, and in a backwards, sick sense we were. I still felt attraction for him, and he cared deeply for me, I guess nothing between us would ever be conventional, and that was fine by me. 

"I've been waiting all day to see you. Happy birthday," He whispered in my ear, I shivered at the sensation of his proximity, too closed yet and too far. 

The bakery was dead silent, only his voice rang around, and even that was barely above a whisper. I felt everyone's eyes burning on me, waiting for my reaction I surmised, the onlookers would be disappointed if they were expecting me to jump out of his reach or show any signs of discomfort. I wasn't going to recoil from his touch, least of all in front of all this people, I wasn't ashamed of him.

Oddly enough, the moment felt intimate and removed. So my only answer was a breathy, "Thank you, Peeta," I didn't make any effort to move away from him or shy aside, I stood there with my back to his chest, and allowed him to snake his hand from my waist, to rest splayed on my stomach... Well, if ever he was going to show signs of displaying his ownership, this was the moment, there was no doubt now I belonged to him, but he only gave me a quick squeeze, before releasing me, and picking up the heavy cake from the counter.

"After you, m'lady," He said jovially. I opened the door for the both of us and we walked out into the semi empty merchant quarter. "I would love to take you out for a picnic before sunset, to celebrate the special occasion," he said smiling sweetly at me. "After all, a girl only turns sixteen once in her life!" He said loud enough for everyone to hear him, all I did was nod, because my words were failing me, also because I was contractually his, and one doesn't just say no to a vampire; if he wanted to take me on a date for my birthday, so be it! I was excited about it. I was really looking forward to it, damned be the murmurs from my fellow neighbors, they could gossip whatever they wanted! 

"Of course. Should I bring Prim with us, so she have a bit of an outing as well?" I asked quietly. 

"I was hoping to be alone with you for a bit if that's alright, but if you feel more comfortable having her there..."

"No! I mean... I can take her on a picnic on another day. I-I will be alright with it just being you and me." I told him sincerely staring him in the eyes. 

"Alright!" He smiled charmingly at me. 

 

Everything was hazy around me.

My head was foggy and slow, I couldn't focus on anything outside the sensations I was feeling. I had no immediate recollection of how I ended up with my shirt completely unbuttoned, my chest exposed, and my hair loose, falling down my back wildly. I think there were moaning sounds spilling from my mouth, but I was only acutely aware of his lips dragging up and down my torso, climbing to my neck and finally finding purchase on my own. 

Something sharp, pointy and cold started to prick my neck, I made a whimpering sound at the back of my throat, and that sound was all it took for him to come to his senses.

"No!" He gasped loudly. "Fuck! What did I do? Fuck, fuck, fuck... I'm so sorry Katniss, I... I didn't... I... FUCK!" He jumped away from me, my still muddled mind couldn't process much yet. He might've said more, but those are the first words I remember making sense of. 

I was confused and barely coherent, when I was able to feel the awkward angle in which my legs laid under me. I recalled being on my knees on the picnic blanket, when I kissed him.

I know he was reluctant to kiss me, when I asked, so I just surged up and did it anyway. His response was instantaneous an animal like... So that's how my hair came unbound. I vaguely remember his hands plunging into my hair, his fingers greedily massaging my skull, as he pulled the hair tie off the end of my braid.

Everything was slowly coming back to me, the longer I sat without his lips on me.

He had kissed, and nipped, and pulled my lower lip with his front teeth, then his kisses migrated down my jaw and throat, when he ran out of skin to kiss, he simply popped buttons open and pushed the fabric of my shirt away so he could continue unobstructed downwards. He licked, kissed and nuzzled everything from my forehead to my rib cage, my undergarments didn't met the same regard as the buttons of my shirt, he had actually taken the time to unfastened slowly, one at a time, but he couldn't be bother with my camisole, so he ripped it apart, and since that had a built-in bra, Peeta gained instant access to my bare breasts that he readily lavished with his mouth and hands. 

"I told you, you were perfect," He murmured against the peak of my nipple, his voice gravely and rougher than I've never heard before, I later came to recognize this as the sound of desire, but then, it was new and made me shivered in anticipation. 

I caught his eyes then, the blue of his irises dark and moltened, his intention and hunger unabashedly displayed in them, and that's when I started felling warm, lethargic, boneless... compliant. One of his hands craddled the back of my head while his other supported my spine, I was leaned back, almost touching ground. And he spoke, making coherent thought flee my mind. 

"You're soft... sweet... so pretty. You are light. You're life and air, the closest thing to the radiant sun I can manage to face. And I want to have you," he licked my neck, and kissed my pulse point, "I want to know if you'll taste like the light of sunshine, or sweet like innocence," 

"Okay..." I whispered, my addled brain had no idea what it was agreeing too, but the feeling was envolving and dense, like a thick wooly blanket, and I really had no other will, than the one his gaze allowed. "Yes," I moaned faintly. 

He swooped down to claim my lips again, and that's the last thing I know happened for certain, until his gut wrenching reaction to realizing his sharp fang pierced my skin and he had been very, very closed to taken a drink from my jugular. 

The all consuming terror invaded my senses, like a switch had been flipped. All the fog had lifted, all the confusion less a sea of molasses and more of a intermittent flash of fear. I managed to sit on my bum, before bringing my hand shakily to my neck, where I could feel a thin, steady trickle of warm liquid. 

Once I felt the tip of my fingers wet, I pulled them away and brought them to my eyes. I already knew what it was, but seeing the crimson film covering my fingers, made my whole body tremble. I couldn't speak, I couldn't stop shaking, I couldn't scream as I desperately needed too. My eyes went to him involuntarily. He was even worse than me.

Apparently I was deaf as well, because I saw him crying and rocking his body back and forth, across from me some five feet away, hugging his knees to his chest, a streak of red on the tip and side of his pert nose. His mouth was moving, forming words that I just couldn't hear. My eyes went back to my finger tips and I started to hyperventilate.

Out of my peripheral view, I saw the motion, I looked up and saw him crawling towards me, his face ashen and full of tears I had no idea an undead could produce. For the first time in my life I felt threaten by him. I think I finally yelled, and scooted backwards in terror to keep my distance from him. He stopped dead at my reaction, his eyes widened when he realized I was actually afraid of him, and he practically fell on his face onto the ground, his hands extended in my direction pleadingly. And sound came back, I heard him beg.

"Please," it was merely a whisper, it was pained and tortured. 

I stopped moving, I stopped breathing for a moment, and then resumed. My eyes didn't move away from his form, and I wondered how did a most beautiful birthday picnic had gone so arrayed, when it had started out so innocent and sweet? 

"Just kill me... Please. I can't take seeing that look in your face again." He begged quietly still against the ground. 

I surprised myself by rasping, "I can't," 

He looked up, his face covered in dirt, and his eyes red-rimmed and wet, a tormented look in them. He begged again. "I'm a monster, Katniss, I could've kill you... I-I thought I had killed you." He choked up, but continued frantically as if he had to prove to me he deserved permanent death. "It was like a vision, I saw you, bled out and eyes empty, limp in my hands naked and used. In my vision I tried to shake you awake, but you didn't come back, I was desperate, I tried to make you like me, but I had no idea how, and you were dead, gone, finished..." He crawled closer to me, and I let him reach me, touch me, embraced me, and once I was in his arms, he released what I think was sigh of relief. "Your heart had stopped," His words choked against my temple, "You were dead." His whole body shuddered. 

"My heart is still working right now," I muttered shakily, "Here. Feel it." I grabbed his hand and placed it on my chest, the heel of his hand between my breasts while his long thick fingers covered the top of my left one. 

He tightened his hold on me with his other arm, as he calmed down, he whispered into my hair, "I-I feel it. I hear it... Thanks." He brushed a kiss to my temple, "Thank you for taking me back. Thank you for letting me touch you, specially after..." He sobbed again, and buried his face on my hair. "I'm so sorry, baby, you are everything to me, and I want to disapear for scaring you, for hurting you. You should just drive a wooden stake through my heart and be rid of me, I'm bad for you, and I can't risk your safety anymore." He was becoming more agitated by the minute, so I sat up, and held his face in my hands, it was probably suicide, since I was still bleeding from my neck, but I had to calm him down. 

"Look at me," I said softly, and his eyes were on mine in an instant, "Listen to me, I'm not gonna kill you, we will... we will learn how to curb the urges to eat me somehow," I told him with as much conviction as I could mustered. He only looked at me doubtfu, but nodded all the same. 

"Let's get you home," He said finally. I stood up eagerly, ready to put this dud of a day behind us. 

But before we could go anywhere, he examined my neck. The single puncture was shallow, he only managed to break the skin, but it was deep enough to draw some blood. He did something, with his hand on my face, distracting me, and then I felt his tongue licking the wound. It was strange and made me anxious for a second, but he leaned away from me quickly enough, I think his eyes were closed in something like delight when he stepped away from me, but the expression left his features before I could actually see it. 

He grunted and pulled my to him by the waist, kissing my lips softly. "Let me get you home, sweetheart, before I lose my self control again." He said shakily, almost as if it was a monumental effort to keep himself in check, he made me take off my shirt so I could pull the ruined camisole out of my arms, then slipped the shirt back on and buttoned it himself for me, the whole time his eyes had to focused on mine when they started to turn black. And then we were off, and on to my house. 

When we stepped into the front yard, he pulled on my arm to get my attention. He looked embarrassed and reluctant, but he spoke finally. "Katniss..." He fidgeted with the picnic blanket in his arm, then looked me in the eyes, "I have to get Cressida or Delly... Or maybe both," I felt my eyebrows come together in a frown, my heart made a painful jolt in my chest, he felt it, because he looked pained too, "I have to, I have to or I'll be back for you later tonight... I'm barely holding on right now as it is. I have to feed this urge, and I rather do it with someone that's already..."

"Experienced?" I provided bitterly. He shook his head. 

"I-I think... I think I'm in love with you," he blurted out. 

"Then why seek other women? I'm here, Peeta. It will happen at some point, I want it to happen at some point." I yelled at him, hot angry tears rolling down my face. "You take me out, then kiss me, then tell me what you just did, and still think it's alright to go find someone else to fuck?" I was screaming now, the lights inside my home flickered and I heard the door opening behind me, "It's not alright at all! And if you go fuck someone else tonight then you're the biggest hypocrite in the world Peeta Mellark," I lamely pushed on his chest, I tried to punch it too for good measure, it was stupid, I doubt he felt any of it. 

"Katniss please, you have to understand, if I dont take out on some other vessel, I could really harm you, and I can't harm you, I won't do it again, I couldn't live if something ever happened to you, and that... That thing that happened this afternoon, that vision I had, it freaked me out, Katniss. It scared the shit out of me, I swore I would protect you, even if protecting you means to fuck other women! Because I'm sure as hell not going to fuck you, you are too fragile and importat to break, and that's that!" He yelled back at me, and for a moment I saw a flicker of the monster obscuring his face, I shrunk, I gave in. 

"Fine, Peeta... Go do what you must, but please don't show yourself here, at least until I can bare to see you again," I said raggedly. Then I told him, right before I dashed inside the house, "I'm angry at you. I'm more hurt that you think I'm fragile and incapable of pleasing you than what you did to my neck," I said absently caressing my neck, "I love you too, and I consider what you're doing cheating, so... The invitation in is revoke." 

His face twisted and fell a couple of times while I was talking, but the very last thing just simply left him confused for a second, I heard him call after me as I rushed past Papa and Lilian, "It doesn't work that way, Katniss. You can't revoke the invitation... I just choose to respect your boundaries for the time being." Without turning to face him, I made a rude hand gesture, and slammed the door shut. 

"What happened?" Demanded Papa as soon as I stalked past him.

"Nothing I can't deal with, but as you heard, Peeta is going to town to extend Cressida or Delly, or both, and invitation to come sleep with him, because apparently I'm too much of a weakling for him. Now, if you'll excuse me, I want to see my baby, and then go to bed." 

"Katniss! That is unacceptable talk from you young lady!" Said Papa forcefully, my rage was at an all high point then, so I turned on him, voice low and venomous.

"You're just like him," I hissed viciously, "An entitled hypocrite. How dare you tell me how or not to talk? I'm a fucking slave to a vampire that is right now on his way to fuck his fucking whores, you stand here telling me was inappropriate? You got a married woman pregnant! When you grow a moral, then come talk to me, I'm already fucked anyway, because Peeta won't hold back my whole life, when I'm of age, he'll have no reason to hold back, why should I pretend otherwise." That was the last I heard from anyone that night. 

 

 

"Ha, ha... Look at her D, no wonder he came seeking us after dropping her off!" Cried Cressida as I walked by on my way home from a long afternoon of trading in town. 

My clothes were covered in animal hair, blood and mud. I was wearing the most tethered flannel shirt I owned and patched and faded trousers, of course I looked terrible. My hair was all frizzy and falling out it's braid, last time I had seen my face reflection I had a streak of dirt on my forehead from wiping the sweat with my soiled hands. 

"Off course he came looking for us, Cress, that poor little wisp of a girl probably has no idea of what to do with a cock!" They both dissolved in laughter, and stupidly I felt tears prick at the corner of my eyes.

"At least she's his favorite! He chosed her as some kind of trophy bride... and keeps calling her name while pounding into you..." huffed a third voice, a redheaded girl I didn't recognized immediately... The other girls stop laughing, and I heard the redhead say "What? It's true! He's never called either of your names the few times I've been around to clean up the mess after his done." I chance a glance as I rush by, and see the red head girl shrugging unapologeticall. 

"Oh p-lease... As if he really cared for a Seam rat like her! I would be scared to lose my job if I were you Lavinia," Said Delly, "He probably wants her as a maid," more laughter,

"He will always chose real women to take to bed, not a dirty tomboy!" Suplied Cressida. 

I couldn't stop myself, I turned around and stood in front of the bullies, and screamed, "You two are just a pair of bitter, nasty, harpies! You know you will never get husbands now that _He_ has used you leaving you hollow and alone. Your nothing more than a pair of sorry witches!" I made to leave, but one of them took a hold of my braid and screeched,

"You bitch!" What followed was a fist and nail brawl. Hair was pulled and faces got slapped, and then the thunder and lightning came. 

Peeta's hand plucked me easily from the middle of the fight, he pushed the other two girls off me, making them land on their butts, I've never seen him so angry (in human form) before. 

"What the fuck are you three doing?" He yelled harshly, I still hanged from his hand by the bicep. I let my face fall in shame at his words, and mumbled and apology.

The other two tripped over themselves trying to blame the other and me as an instigator, Lavinia stood very still to the side simply watching mutely. 

"Silence!" He growled. "Under no circumstances either of you is to ever approach, talk or even look at Katniss... She's mine! And I won't have anyone touch her. If you ever do anything to her again, or even speak her name you will face me!" He said dangerously. "And you!" He pulled me so fast from his side I just felt like a rag doll flying in the air, he looked chagrined for a second before hardening his face again, "You know better than to let people getting a rise out of you! I can't believe you fell for their provocation!" 

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "You didn't hear them making fun of me, and... It's true. I have no idea how to please you... I don't even know what did they mean when said I wouldn't know what to do with a cock." I started crying out of shame and humiliation. His eyes went straight to the little harpies.

"What the fuck is wrong with you two?" He demanded, "She's the closest thing I'll ever have to a bride. Now, because you two think you're better than her, you've lost any privileges I had granted you both. From now on your to support yourselves, I'm not going to ware one more coin in either of you. Now go, before I decide you deserve worse." The girls were gone, and he crushed me to his chest, when we were finally alone. 

I cried some more, but he took my face in his hand, and kissed my lips tenderly. "I love you, no matter what. But, I've decided there are things I need to figure out before I drag you deeper into my world," 

"What do you mean?" I asked confusedly.

"I'm leaving the district. I keep having visions of you dying time and again and I can't take it anymore. Haymitch Abernathy suggested I look for others like me, so I can ask them what's wrong with my visions, if they are premonitions of the future, if there's anything I can do to avoid it. And I think he's right. I need to go. There's so much I don't know about myself and what I am, and I can't keep treating you like this. You're my whole life." 

"Peeta..." I gasped. 

"I'll come back once I find out what I need to know. In the mean time. Be safe, be a good mommy to Prim. Keep my Dad company." He kissed me again, and said, "If I don't return by your twenty second birthday, marry Gale," He said and before I could protest he pushed me into Gale's arms, who I had no idea was standing right behind me. His eyes wide and stunned. Then Peeta said, "Keep her safe, dont be afraid to love her if I don't return."

Then he was gone.

 

 

TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review, find me on tumblr. Have a great evening!
> 
> I'm going to take the weekend off from this story to update my other stuff. Thank you for your support and understanding!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I take full responsibility of all mistakes and errors in this fic... Go forth and good reads!

The flicker of the tiny flame danced in my sister's amused, wide open eyes; the excitement in her baby blues was contagious, I couldn't have stop smiling if I wanted to.

"Blow!" Peeta's soft, gentle voice whispered, waving the small frosted cake teasingly in front of Prim's face, encouraging her to blow out the single candle atop. It was her first birthday, and we were out in the meadow, at dusk, celebrating it. 

Prim turned her face to look at Peeta for confirmation, and he regaled her with a pleased smile that she returned readily.

"Go on, baby girl, blow the candle!" He encouraged her again, "Just like Katniss showed you. You can do it!" He said lightly, winking at me from behing my sister's piggy-tailed head. 

Prim giggled, and her pink lips made an exaggerated O, flattening chubby hands over her equally chubby cheeks to help the air squeeze out of her mouth. And she did it! She blew out the candle just as we had been practicing for weeks.

When the candle was out, Prim squealed with delight as we clapped our hands in celebration. She did a great job, she didn't even send spittle flying in all directions that time; it was as if she knew how important this particular candle was, and the importance of getting it right on the first try... After all, you only turned 1 once in your life, and this was the one that counted, the one she been practicing for. 

Peeta, placed the tiny round cake in front of the one year old child, and allowed her to go to town on it. By the time she was done, the picnic blanket under Prim, was ruined, but we had a magnificent time together, just the three of us, our small surrogate family of sorts. That was the last time Peeta kissed Prim on her rosy cheeks, and held me closed to his chest before leaving the district.

Peeta didn't leave town for a few weeks after telling me he was going to; he claimed he had to make sure every detail about his trip was planned and that his manor was taken care of, but I knew it was more than just his house, and other business, he was trying to leave in order before his departure.

He went talk to his _lovers_ again, maybe threatened them once more because they never as much as looked at me anymore, in fact they seemed to cowered and run, if we found each other around town unexpectedly. But that was not the only surprise he left for me, the grocer and the seamstress, both, told me later on that I had credit in their shops, which could only mean he had paid some ungodly amount of coin up front for my and Prim's future needs, I had to roll my eyes at that one.

I was never quite sure how he came into money, I doubted that just because he was a vampire, he was automatically wealthy, but it took a while for me to be able to ask about that particular topic, and his explanation was confusing at best; all I knew, was that he basically took over Snow's possessions, including a safe with bank notes and other documents that rid him of financial worries for a _very_ long time. 

The one thing Peeta made abundantly clear, was that he wouldn't miss Primrose's first birthday for the world, he wanted to be there and be part of the festivities, and he pushed his trip back to accommodate for it, for which I was very grateful and happy. Prim's little birthday party for three, was the last time we got to sit together outside in the twilight of evening.

We enjoyed the warmth of the June summer, the sounds of the cicadas in the distance and the blinking fireflies around us. The moment was magic, and would treasure it forever. He wanted to be with his girls before his departure on a self-discovering journey into the world.

But it had been ten months since, and it was my seventeenth birthday already, when a very opinionated toddler Prim in her child like voice encouraged me to blow the candle on my muffin... Yeah, no cake for the seventeen year old girl, a basket of blackberry muffins from the baker sufficed. I still liked seeing the look of awe in Prim's tiny face when we sang the birthday song and she got to ' _help me'_ blow out the candle.

It was a good day regardless of the glaring void shaped as the broad shouldered man my eyes wished to see, but he wasn't completely absent... Mail had brought me a small token from him, special delivery on my birthday. A thin golden necklace from where a locket engraved with a bird in flight hanged, a small painting of 'one year old Prim' as he remembered her from our last picnic, almost a year previously, tucked inside the inner face if the pendant, but it was the note in his scraggly handwriting that kept me smiling, and blushing, for days.

The small piece of paper was almost as precious to me, as the hand painted miniature portrait inside the jewelry. It read: 

 

_For the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world. For a neck so delicate and graceful, that hides the sweetest of secrets, deserves to be adorned by the sweetest of love. I shall come soon, to discover all of your secrets._

_Happy Birthday,_

_Yours,_

_Always!_

 

Another, much bigger parcel, followed two months later, bearing Primrose's second birthday's present from her pseudo daddy. The box contained prettiest pink dress with sparkly lace frills at the hem, I've ever saw, a stuffed bunny with the floppiest ears I've ever seen, and last, a pretty stuffed doll with blonde hair and blue eyes, that looked just like Prim herself. It was perfect. The note that came with the package said he sent two toys, because he could not decide which one he liked best for his little princess, and wished her a happy, beautiful day.

He was missed, of course, but as long as the letters (Either to me or his father) and the small little gifts that arrived in boxes with stamps far away places kept coming, I felt alright, confident... Until they stopped coming.

The last letter came the first day of fall, after Prim's second birthday, and we didn't get any news from him since... I refused to think about the thousands of reasons why he'd stopped writing. I wouldn't do that to myself. So I just waited... and waited... and waited.

 

 

"Go talk to her!" I hissed into Gale's ear.

The last leafs of autumn had hit the already hard and cold ground, marking the passing of yet, another season. By my estimation, it was shaping to be a long, cold winter, and we were just bracing for it.

"No! Are you crazy? I can't just up and talk to her like that!" He hissed back, horrified. "What if she actually wants to talk to me?" The look on his wide gray eyes, was ridiculous, although not warranted... we both knew his 'What-if' scenario had a very good chance of coming true, positively speaking in my part, since we've (and I mean mainly _me_ ) caught the girl in question admiring my best friend, before turning beet-red and looking away... Yup, she was interested, alright, as much as he was. 

Gale and I were almost done with trading for the day when we decided to take a short-cut through town square, and I thought (not for the first time), his senses most've been absurdly attune to her presence, because his eyes just found her without prompting, not sooner we had stepped on the brick floored square.

"You're such a pansy!" I groaned in annoyance, before switching back to enthusiastic match-maker, "Go say hi while she's alone! There aren't many instances, in which Madge Undersee just happens to stroll about in the street sans bodyguards. Seize the moment, Gale! Don't be a scardy mouse."

"Catnip, you know I can't," He said with a heavy regretful sadness in his voice, his eyes as gray as mine, still glued to the Mayor's pretty daughter. 

"And why ever not?" I snapped at him starting to lose patience. 

Madge was my age; in fact, we shared many clases while in school before we graduated the summer of my eighteenth birthday. She had light blue eyes, straight, long, honey blonde hair, and the smile of a fairy tale princess, her skin was as fair as a China doll, but that didn't mean she was a fragile little thing that needed to be protected; Madge was smart and surprisingly tough, albeit quiet and reserved, but I guess you need to be so in politics, and my best friend and hunting partner, Gale, had been completely head over heels for her since earlier in the year, but he refused to approach her. 

"You know why, Catnip! If by the time you turn twenty two, you're still alone, I'm supposed to marry you." His voice came out curt and matter of fact.

It was no secret in town, that Peeta had told Gale to stay with me if he hadn't come back to claim me by my twenty second birthday, so, at the eyes of the townsfolk Gale and I were as good as engaged, although there was a previous claim on me that took precedence. That notion deserved another eye roll from me. I though the whole affair, was unnecessary and stupid. To ask such a thing from somebody was just ludicrous, but that was Peeta... Redundant and overly protective to a fault.

"Ugh, not that again!" I cried out throwing my hands in the air. "My twenty second birthday is three and a half years away, Gale. You can't just sit around for four years wasting your life away, in the off chance you'd have to marry me. Plus, who says _I_ want to be married?" I posed for him.

"Yeah, but if _He_ doesn't return..."

"What if he does?" I cut him off with a roll of my eyes, "What if Peeta comes home tomorrow, or the day before my twenty second birthday? What are you going to do, when you realize you just lost all that time being loyal to some oath you really didn't wanna take in the first place? Do you think Madge is going to still be unattached by then? Just sitting around waiting for you to come sweep her of her feet, after your would-be- _forced_ - _on-you_ -bride, goes off to a vampire manor?" I asked groaning again, "No, she wouldn't! So the time for you to spring into action is now!" I almost yelled at him... Still encouraging, mind you... because I really cared for my friend's future and his happiness.

"Catnip, he said... No, he _commanded_ , I'd be your husband if he never came back," he told me stubbornly, "I'm not about to go against his directives..."

"Since when are you so accommodating to Peeta's wants? Weren't you the one to always talk about the injustice of a vampire Lord governing our business?" I asked him bitterly.

"It's different Katnis, I am supposed to protect you." He said crossing his arms over his chest, he was so stubborn, it made me wanna hit him over the head.

"We don't have to be married to one another for you to protect me, you big oaf!" I huffed, I saw him smiled smugly at me, and it made me angry, he thought he had won the argument. "Alright," I exhaled readying myself for another round, "Fine. Let's say we follow this scenario for a moment. Peeta doesn't return in the next four years, but instead of marrying me, you marry Madge, who turns out to be the love of your life, who makes you happier than anything else in the world, and makes beautiful, squeezable, chubby blond babies." I took a pause for dramatic delivery, "Do you think you'd regret _then_ , talking to her _today_ , if she's an amazing wife in your possible future? Is not like I have any desire to marry any man, specially not one that's clearly infatuated with somebody else." then I took a pause because I felt a knot in my throat waiting to choke me, "I refuse for us to become another Lilian and the baker case. It wouldn't be fair for anyone... to be honest Gale, I'm pretty happy for you in that possible, future, reality!" I tell him inflecting my voice in all the right places just to drive my point.

"But he ordered..."

"Yeah, he did! but if he's not here, how in the hell is he going to enforced his orders?" _Yes! I finally got him!_ Gale was turning blue in the face, scowling, holding his breath while thinking for a suitable argument... There was none, so I won that one.

He growled at me exasperatedly. "You... You're impossible, woman!" But he finally tossed down his bloody, muddy game bag right at my feet, squared his shoulders, and marched on to where Madge Undersee had taken a seat on a bench. 

I waited until Gale reached the girl, then I saw him rub the back of his neck nervously with one hand as he murmured something to her, while his other hand moved in waves, circles and other odd shapes in a very uncharacteristic manner, coming from him. She seemed to had greeted him excitedly judging by the huge smile painting her lips. She looked entirely too pleased to be talking to him, to be taken as pure politeness on her part.

I was pretty sure she liked  _him_ as much as he did her, and then I saw her smile falter when her blue eyes accidentally found me watching them from across the plaza. I rose my hand halfway, and waved discreetly, smiling at her tentatively... It was a small flicker of the eyes, but I saw it clear as day, her gaze went to him nervously and oh so hopeful, before returning to mine almost in question. I nodded then, and smiled again, and understanding filled her face, she smiled back at me thankfully and refocused her blue eyes on Gale.

With a small hand gesture, she invited him to sit with her, so, when Gale started to lower himself into the bench next to Madge, I knew my job there was finished, so I picked up his discarded game bag, and headed on to cover his bartering route... Ironically enough, there was a jar of strawberries, Gale's mother, Hazelle, had preserved earlier in the year when the berries were in season, that we were supposed to go sell at Mayor Undersee's mansion. 

Gale had hogged the preserves, right after we divvied up the ones for bartering, from the ones we kept for ourselves for the winter months, which wasn't all that surprising to me; it was a known fact, the Undersees would buy anything related to the fruit. I think that might had been the last time the Undersees paid for strawberries. 

I smiled to myself, thinking I made a pretty great Cupid. And I was proud of it!

 

 

Winter came overnight, and it was terrible. 

The available game was mostly small pickings, too skinny, or sick to run fast from us. Papa decided to pick extra shifts at the mines, since it seemed like the woods had shrunk for three hunters, and the coin was tight. Gale had been old enough to become a miner himself two years before, but he only ever went down there on a five day/seven hour rotation every week, he decided to keep his schedule the same.

The one animal I was always sure to shoot, no mater what, were squirrels. Mr. Mellark's favorite meat. 

The baker and I, had established a well rounded relationship by then; he treated me as if I was family, and I did the same for him. In another life I could have actually been married to Peeta and give the old baker grandchildren, but in this reality, this was all we had.

It had been long since he stopped sneaking treats for his ex-wife in my bags. I never asked about it, and he never offered any explanation, not that it was ever needed or wanted, but he was a good man to converse with, and to drink a cup of tea on very cold days. We had stopped actively trading with each other almost since the moment Peeta declared I was to go with him when older. We just simply shared our weres and counted it as even. There was no weirdness in that, or even a sense of unfairness, it just was, and we were alright with it. 

I still wished the kind baker would find love, a real, lasting, honest love, but he was reluctant to even try, and I couldn't really blame the man for being guarded. Now, he and Papa shared more than taste in women, when it came down to me and Peeta. 

Peeta may had been Mr. Mellark's son, and the man still loved his child, but his child was a vampire, there was no escaping the fact. More often than not, I had to just simply smiled and nod my head politely, when he started lecturing me on why it was a bad idea to still wanting to uphold my end of the bargain with Peeta. He was a little appalled at the thought that I was actually looking forward for his return to town. He understood that I had bore a crush on his son, since I was very little, but his argument never varied.

"Katniss, dear, Peeta's gone. What we have now is not the real him, but a dark shadow of his former self. My son was the sweetest boy there ever was. He used to be against violence and would've never dreamed of threatening the lives of people for selfish vendettas, nor would he'd ever used women as if they were disposable towels. He would have never forced you to entered into deal like yours back when he has human. This version of my son is manipulative and aggressive, not at all like my sweet Peeta." 

"Mister Mellark, I swear, the real Peeta is still there under all the righteous anger, and intimidation, and... the fangs." I swallowed, because the fangs were pretty terrifying. "He just needs to learn how to harness all this new abilities, and feelings, and appetites, so he can be more like his old self again." I tried to sound cheerful, hopeful, I really wanted the baker to feel positive about Peeta's return.

One snowy afternoon, after his usual speech, I told him, "He's still a good man if you get to look past the curse and the venom that runs in his veins... Just give him a chance to show you he can be that person again." I was earnest, but then I was doubting if everything I said was for the baker's benefit or mine, because Papa would usually release a spiel very similar to the baker's one, except, Papa spoke with bitterness and resentment, always prompting me to defend Peeta, causing our words to escalate into full blown screaming matches.

In fact that very night was our nastiest fight, and we were overheard by a trio of people, that served as an unlikely source of comfort for me afterwards.

As soon as I entered my house that day, Prim toddled as fast as her chubby legs allowed her, to meet me at the door. Twin blond braids flapping behind her, in the cutest little outfit a little girl could have.

"Kat-neesh!" She squealed when I picked her up in my arms and twirled her around the living room. Her laughter filled our small house and I couldn't help but laugh with her.

"Hi there little duck!" I said blowing a raspberry on her cheek that made her giggle. "Are you ready to go on a little adventure? I think I'm gonna take you to the pond today, it's nice and solidly frozen through, I'm sure we can probably skate across it!"

"I don't think that's a good idea Katniss." Said Lilian coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands in her apron as she approached me and Prim.

"Why not?" I asked annoyedly, fixing Prim on my hip and giving Lilian a glare. "I rushed home for this, I even got a terrible deal on the only hare I had caught in three days, just so I'd be home early enough to take Prim out!" I said almost growling.

Things between me and Lilian had never been the best since Prim's origin was revealed, but sometimes I felt such contempt for her that I was outright nasty to woman. I tried to curb this reactions in front of Prim, there was no need for her to witness discord in her own home, where she was supposed to feel safe and loved, but sometimes...

"I understand and appreciate that Katniss, but, the days are getting shorter, and soon it will be dark out, it's not safe to be out in the woods like that," Said Lilian a bit sternly. If it had been any other person, I would have seen the reason in the words, she was making perfect sense, but... It was Lilian speaking after all... I blew up.

"Well, I am not afraid of the dark woods! I'm a hunter, I kill things in there; if anything, the woods should be afraid of me!" My voice was climbing as I spoke, "Plus everybody and everything knows who do I belong to, if anything were to happen to me, Peeta would see to them to be punished!"

"Fine Katniss. You can go wherever you want, just not with my child." Said Lilian striding across the room and snatching the girl out of my arms.

That was it. The last straw.

"Give me back my baby!" I yelled at the woman, and lurched forward with my arms reaching for Prim.

"She's _my_ daughter, Katniss, not yours. You are just an entitled brat, that for too long has thought the world must revolve and bow to her, because she somehow has managed to get a monster to obsess over her... Well, the monster is not here anymore, Katniss, he's left you behind, abandoned you to your own devices, it's time for you to grow up! I wont tolerate any more of your disrespect in my house!" After saying all those things without stopping for air, while wrestling little Prim away from me, we both stopped abruptly, as her words crashed around the two of us. 

"He... He didn't abandon me," My voice was broken and frail and barely a pained whisper, but her next words cut me deeper than anything else she had said about me. "And this isn't _your_ house... it's mine, I brought you here, you're the unwelcome intruder"

"I hope he's dead!" she snapped back, "I hope someone made him turn into ashes. He deserved it anyway, he was a hypocrite pedophile... lusting after fourteen year olds! I saw it in his eyes every time you came around to the bakery, he couldn't stop leering at you, it was disgusting. He's disgusting. If he's not dead, he probably found other little girls to _spend_ time with... Maybe you are just too old for him." Her voice was quiet and her eyes flitted between mine, as if she could not believe what she was telling me, yet she couldn't stop herself.

I was shocked and hurt by her insinuations; I knew Peeta had always felt shame for liking me when was alive, but he wasn't a child molester, he never did anything inappropriate, let alone harmful to me or anyone else for that matter. He had never mentioned having any urges or feelings towards me back then; in fact, he was nothing but nice and protective of me, as I recalled a handful of moments throught out my childhood in which we interacted, protecting each other, 

"He never leered. He... He is not... he would've never... You're a wrong!" I said staring at the floor, my voice soft and quivery, "We... We protected each other. That's what we've always done. Protect each other." I looked up and I couldn't help my words when I saw the judgment in her eyes, "You are wrong Lilian, and you're a bitch, and I hate you! I regret having listened to mister Melkark and taken you in. Maybe Peeta would have shown you mercy when you were alone in the dark streets, almost naked and forsaken. I regret bringing you here, into _my_ house." 

I felt like my torax was shrinking around my heart and lungs, like my body was getting to tight to hold in everything inside of me. I felt the sting of tears in my eyes, but I refused to cry in front of the woman that had caused me pain and betrayal and grief. Prim was crying loudly, I think she called both our names repeatedly, but Lilian's hands went slack and almost dropped the child. I was able to get to Prim before she fell flat on her back, and that's when the rage took me completely over.

I really have no recollection of what I said, all I remember is how the venom flowed uninhibited out of my mouth, and the look on my step-mother's stricken face as she heard me yell at her every expletive I knew. All I am sure I said then was,

"Taking Prim out is my blasted prerogative and I will do as want, because unlike you, I'm not a terrible person who tears up people's lives, without regard for anything or anyone. I wish Peeta was here, I would've moved in with him ages ago, and no just only so I didn't have to suffered you any longer, but because I do love him, and I cant wait to be with him. He's not a monster... You are!" 

"KATNISS!" My father bellowed from the doorway. I didn't react to his scream though. I simply turned my burning face to my little sister, and schooled my features into a smiling mask of 'It's alright' before putting her down on the worn area rug of the living room... one _I_ had chosen and paid for when I was merely twelve.  

"You be a good girl now, Little Duck. Kat-kat and Papa will go out to the woods now, because I don't want you to hear anymore screaming. Alright?" I said crouching next to the ready eyes Prim, she gave me a watery smile with a small and hopeful "Alright. Cookie?" I only laughed, and kissed the crown of her head. I dug in my bag and gave her one single chocolate chip cookie, "Don't ruin your appetite, though. I love you, I'll see you later." And I stood up, and walked passed Papa, who was still completely covered in soot, from his time down in the coal mines. 

We only go as far as the edge of the woods, when Papa started on me. He called me immature for the way I handled the Lilian situation, he said that I had to understand Prim was her child no mattered if I had been ordered to care for her as if she was my own. Of course, his tone and wording wasn't as neat as this narration, and I was already so tired of the whole thing, I started to cry, which validated his 'immature' comment.

I raged and screamed and insulted his wife some more, and he simply told me that he was glad Peeta was gone, because he was clearly a terrible influence in me, which was laughable since I hadn't even heard from Peeta in many months. So, as always I reminded him that he was alive only by the goodness of Peeta's heart, the one that stopped beating so he could stand there and lectured me; that always shut him up, that time though it just seemed to offend him greatly, and he asked me,

"Do you rather be alone in the world than have me alive, bud?" If there hadn't been that look of fire in his gaze and the harshness of his voice, I would've have given him a different answer, but things were bad, very bad between the two of us when he asked, so I answered with tears in my eyes,

"If it that meant that the man I loved was alive and there was a possibility he'd loved me back... Then yes, papa. I would rather much mourn you, than live in this constant battle," 

"Katnis, you can't say that!" He sputtered. I guess he wasn't expecting that answer, because there was pain taking over his face, "I'm your father, you can't possibly choose a stranger over your father!" He said with dismay. His hands rubbing his coal stained forehead. "You can't seriously love that demon! You're eighteen, you know nothing about love and life and intimacy," 

"Maybe I'm young, but so were you when you married my mother, you were barely older than me when I was born. What makes you and mother different?" I asked in an accusing fashion.

"Your mother and I had lived each other for years, we knew each other from school, we had a healthy, happy relationship. I never imposed myself in her life, I never demanded her to marry me or love me, we just did..."

"The same goes to for me! The only reason I'm different is because Peeta died and came back as a supernatural creature, but we were friends first, we knew of each other for a decade before any of this, he saved us, you and me, so many times that you don't even have the slightest idea! You can't judge him for what he became in exchange for your own life, if anything it's your fault his dead, and if you're so sure I'm ignorant about intimacy is because Peeta is a goddamned gentleman, that never did anything inappropriate with me, not even when we were alone, so you and Lilian can believe whatever you like, you're both wrong and I can't wait until he's back!" 

Papa brushed his matted hair back, where it just sat flat against his head. He looked old and tired, and maybe defeated as well. He sighed deeply. 

"Alright, Katniss. I give up. You do what you must, love that blackguard, I pray he doesn't come back, because I know he will use you in the most vile ways, he will hurt you emotionally and physically and when he's tired of you, he will kill you. But I guess, I lost my little girl a long time ago, so I can't stop you." Said Papa in a beaten sort of voice. "Choose him, go ahead, it's your life." 

"No papa, I chosed you, so let's be fair shall we? I traded your life for mine. So, yes, you lost your little girl, but not because of Peeta, you lost your little girl the moment you went after Lilian Mellark, and caused me to age quicker than I should've. So you lost me, because of yourself, now live with that knowledge." I walked away from him, not looking back at him.

I didn't return home that night, although I hadn't plan on staying out. In fact, I never thought the following developments were even possible, but, it was dark, cold and miserable out, and the only place I could associate with warmth and safety was the bakery, but that meant I had to walk all the way across town, and it was very likely Mr. Mellark was already in bed, since he had to wake up so early to bake for the morning rush. 

I did walk to town anyway, but I wasn't very far when I heard someone running after me, in a second a female voice called my name, and for the first time I realized I had left my bow and arrows leaning on the door frame back home. I did still had my hunting knife on me, so that was something. I turned around to face whoever was rushing towards me, and I was surprised to see Bristel Smith panting for air after the jog it took her to reach me. 

"Finally!" She huffed when she was only a couple of feet away from me. "You a very fast walker." she said still trying her breath, as she held her stomach with one hand and braced her weight against a light post with the other. "uff..."

"Uh... Can-can I help you with something?" I asked with a mixture of concern and annoyance, when the older girl just kept heaving for air.

"Oh. No. Actually, I was trying to see if you needed help." Bristel said after a minute or so, her breathing under control, finally.

"Um, why would you think I needed help?" I asked her defensively.

"Well, you and your old man came to blows back there, and then you just stomped away... I wasn't sure where you were actually going since, that's the opposite direction to your house..."

"I'm fine! I don't need any help, thank you." I said petulantl. I was fine. Really. Just a bit angry, but that would blow over too. 

"Alright!" Bristel said rising her hands in a placating manner. "Okay, you're fine. I get it!" she said backing away one step. "Look, I know you don't trust people around here, and you shouldn't, but, I over heard what you and your pops were saying to each other, and I figured I come make sure you were fine, that was all." I scowled at her for a moment, and gripped the hilt of my hunting knife involuntarily. 

"Why were you eavesdropping in a private matter? Actually, why were you out there at all anyway? Me and Papa were almost to the forest." I looked at her suspiciously, and she laughed. 

"Oh, goodness! Of course you wouldn't know what's around that area." She said placing a hand over her chest as she laughed. I was starting to think of ways to hit her in the face without leaving a mark, when something clicked into place in my head.

"T-the, the slag heap! The slag heap is that way, isn't it?" My words tripping over each other as realization sank in my mind, and my eyes went wide with every breath I took. Of course the slag heap was less than a mile from there, and people would go the long way around it just to not be seen. 

Bristel grinned triumphantly, before nodding and wiling at me. "That would be correct!" Then her smile turned into a mere curl of the lips, as she spoke again. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, you couldn't actually avoid listening to the yells if you tried." Her voice was soft and understanding. "It sounded rough. I'm sorry you and your pops are having a hard time looking eye to eye." 

"It is what it is." I sighed with weariness. I felt suddenly very tired and very old, although I was only eightee and a half. 

"Look, Katniss, I'm on my way to me with some... Um... _Friends_. If you're not ready to go home, maybe you'd like to come sit with us?" She seemed nervous asking the question, but I really didn't feel like going back to Papa and Lilian, and Prim had just started to sleep in her big girl room, so... I decided, what harm could it do to just go spend time with Bristel and her friends? After all, Bristel was part Seam, and people from the Seam stuck for each other.  

"Well... I guess I could go with you for a bit." I said tentatively, then I thought passed my mind, "Unless your friends are boys, and they expect... _Things_ , to happen. I don't, I'm not... I can't do... you know,  _Things_ , with boys." Oh god, why was I so awkward? But Bristel smiled in understanding, too brightly in fact. 

"Oh no! No boys! We know you're not supposed to be touched by anyone. It's only girls." She assured me, "Is a sort of a kind of club we have going... And you being Katniss Everdeen and all, will fit right in!" She had started walking and talking animatedly, while I followed a pace behind, she wouldn't stop talking about her so called club, until she stopped abruptly, and then she turned to look at me, I would've thought there was some terrible news she was going to share, when her eyes opened wide and she got pale in the face. 

"Is there anything the matter?" I asked feeling my heart rate increasing rapidly. She only shook her head once, before nodding twice, which was very confusing.

"Um, Katniss... I just thought of something, and I'm sorry, I don't want to offend you or get you mad..." She said trembling slightly.

"Bristel, you're scaring me, why would I be mad or offended?" I asked carefully, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Well, is just that neither of the other two girls is supposed to speak to you under penalty of... Who knows what. I-I didn't think about it before, and I'm so sorry... I don't want to make him angry, that i brought you here... to them..." 

"I don't understand... What are you talking about?" Right then I saw a blonde head peek out of the window if a nearby house, and the curtains shut immediately once the woman inside saw my face. It had been quick, but I knew exactly who it was, and I finally could make sense of Bristel's ramblings.

I narrowed my eyes in the direction of the house. I was my own person, I wasn't afraid of anyone, and after the night I just had, a pair of bullies was nothing I couldn't handle. So I rolled my shoulders in resolution, lifted my chin up in the air, and marched forward in the direction of the tiny fence surrounding the dwelling. 

"Come now, Bristel. Delly and Cressida are waiting, and I'm dying to ask them what does a rooster have to do with the male anatomy!" 

 

To to be continue...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the glaring lack of Peeta in the chapter.
> 
> So, the next update is probably going to be a bit shorter than this one, I know I'm being terrible at keeping the chapters even length, and is driving me insane, but it is what it is. My hubs has bronquitis, my son had a cold, I'm nursing my own cold, and I'm still peeling wallpaper off my new house I still haven't moved into yet, luckily I start painting my new living room tomorrow, yay! 
> 
> I promise we will either hear of Peeta's travels or his sex life with his harem of girls, but I promise it'll be great! 
> 
> By the way, I never do this, but, I feel inspired, if tou have any idea of what I should do about Mr. Mellark's love life, send me a asks on tumblr... I'll see if I can work it in the plot! Ideally this story should wrap up in three more chapters, let's see.
> 
> Thanks for reading, leave me a comment!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Candid sex talk between girls... I'll try to keep it classy ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HUNGER GAMES!!!
> 
> This is very short, very mistake riddled and very girl-like talkie... Like when you have a nice chat with a frenemy! 
> 
> Enjoy! 
> 
> I'm off to watch MJ2! Yay!!!

Going into the woods while it was still dark out, was never a thing that bothered me, I could do it ever day with my eyes closed and my ears perked up, and it was very well and dandy with me; going into a house full of Peeta's play things, a totally different can of worms. It was akin to voluntarily stepping into a pit of venomous vipers.

The unpleasant feeling that you're walking into a place where it's easier to become prey, than to hunt, was something I very seldom experienced, and going into that house, knowing who was waiting at the other side of the front door, was close to blood curling as I could describe.

"Well, well, well... B has been busy collecting strays!" Said Delly, resentfully as soon as I stepped inside the threshold of the house. 

"Easy Dells, retract your claws a little, your jealousy is showing." Laughed Cressida nervously. "Let's play nice, there's no need for enmity between similar souls," 

"I don't see how are that similar," I muttered under my breath.

"What's that?" Snapped Delly. She seemed to be the one with the most contempt for me, so I trained my eyes on her. 

"I said, we are not that similar." I enunciated each word as loudly as I could, partly insinuating she was unintelligent, partly so she could hear I wasn't going to take any crap from them. She only just looked at me in annoyance.

"Of course not! We are from completely different worlds!" She said disdainfully.

"Ugh! Cut it out already, Delly! This whole 'I hate Katniss Everdeen' shit is getting old!" Spat Bristel having taken off her heavy winter coat, scarf and gloves, and tossing them unceremoniously on a chair by the door. "Cress is right, you are acting like a jealous bitch, and to be honest Delly, it makes you look old, like a hag with Nast warts on her nose, old. Smile a little, be friendly." Bristel crossed the room glaring at Delly, who was doing an exceptional job at returning her glares in kind, just her's were full of poison and resentment. Bristel was right, Delly did look old. 

But seeing as her other two friends seemed to be teaming up against her, Delly gave a loud huff of defeat, before turning her back on me.

"Fine! I'll pretend she's not here. But if she provokes me..."  She threatened. 

"I'm right here, and I won't get in your way if you don't get in mine," I told her in a boring tone. I was exhausted after the arguments with Lilian and Papa, I wasn't about to take any more blows from the likes of Delly-fucking-Cartwrigh. 

She didn't acknowledged me for a grand total of twenty seconds, in which Creasida attempted to say hello to me, and offering to take my jacket; I accepted Cressida's hospitality reticently, and allowed her to take my winter gear from me. She then directed me to the couch in front of a roaring fire. To tell the truth, the place was very cozy, and I was just so heart-trodden, I simply sank in the cushions and stared at the fire for a moment... Until Delly decided to come back and poke the bear.

"So, how come miss I'm-better-than-everyone-else is here?" she asked taking a seat on a stool next to a corner table not two feet away from me.

The way she looked at me spoke volumes of her loathing for me, I really had no idea why did she hate me so much, it felt excessive; sure, I disliked her too, in fact I disliked all of them, for the only reason that they were giving Peeta something, he had refused to take from me... Stubbornly so. But the way Delly hated me, was... Extreme.

"I've never thought myself better than anyone, but if it suits you think so, then that's your problem," I told her flatly, I was seriously considering going back home to my so call family, if I was going to be with disagreeable people, I rather had the comfort of Prim close by.

"I invited her, which should be enough for you." Interrupted Bristel harshly from the small kitchen at the other side of the half wall that divided the space in two. She was putting a kettle to boil tea water. "I thought she needed a moment away from her family, since they were being judgmental about... _Him_. I thought she needed to vent, and who better to listen to her vent about it than us? We've certainly been in her shoes longer, and it's even worse, because we have no excuse, but she does... He chose her, unlike us," Bristel shrugged, and came around the divided, to take a seat in the cozy living room. 

Just stood by the coat tree where she hanged my jacket, giving me an understanding kind of sad smile. I felt strange, thinking that maybe Delly wasn't so far off, as she accused me of thinkg myself better than others... I did felt I was better than the three women in the room with me, I never stopped to think about what their home lives were like, not even once, and then I realized that there was only the three of them in this house, I looked around and noticed little telling things... No family portraits of any of them, and everything looked very female oriented. Only women lived in that house. 

"I... I appreciate the invitation, Bristel. And I'm grateful for it. Thank you." I said quietly but sincerely to her. She nodded, Cressida finally came and sat on the rug on the floor by Bristel's feet.

Delly made a snorting sound, and rolled her eyes. "What ever!" She enunciated. "I still think you shouldn't have brought her here without consulting with the rest of us." She finished haughtily, flicking non existent dirt if her finger nails.

"Oh please, like you ever ask before bringing your _friends_ here." Commented Cressida in an aggravated tone. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Delly snapped back, "I enjoy company..."

"You enjoy cock! young or old, big or small, it matters not! all that's important to you is that it's a wealthy cock." Accused Cressida. The look of outrage covering Delly's face both amused and confused me, because there was that word again ' _Cock_ ', why did they kept referring at a male chicken with sexual connotations? 

For the first time, ever, I decided I didn't mind to show just how inexperience and sexually ignorant I was, which was very brave of me, considering this were my significant other's mistresses, and two of them had been absolutely nasty to me previously... Not to mention Delly hated me, and could very well use my naïveté as ammo I voluntarily handed it her, for her bullying attacks. 

"Pardon my ignorance, but... Would you mind... Um... Uh..." Great! All my bravado left me in the middle of the most embarrassing question, and I the women started to stare at me as if I was truly and idiot.

"Spit it out already, we don't have all night for this!" Snapped Delly momentarily forgetting the other girl's words.

"Well... It's just that... Um,"

"Iit's alright dear, don't listen to Dells; she's a real bitch when she's cranky," Bristel said patiently, if not somewhat dismissively when she spoke of Delly. "Just, relax and think about what it is you were going to say, and... Say it!" She smiled at me encouragingly. 

I tripped up and down my awkward speech, "Well... It's just that, both Delly and Cressida accused me of not knowing what to do with a _cock_ , a couple of years ago... And..." 

"And what? Did you finally figured out a come back for that? Are you going to tell me you learned what to do with one, after all this time?" Delly started to laugh mirthlessly, as she mocked me. She truly was a bitch to me, it I decided to ignore her for the time being and pressed on to my question.

"Well, no, I was going to say, that you were both right about that." I said calmly, letting my eyes made contact with all of theirs. 

"Well, I'm sorry I said such horrible things about you then. It was stupid and petty of me. Sorry." Said Creasida. Then she turned to look at Delly, she gave the curly blonde a look and elbowed her in the side. "Go on Delly, you turn to apologize!" She said throught gritted teeth. 

Delly looked absolutely livid, she narrowed her eyes at me for a moment, but offered nothing. Then she snorted and shook her head derisively at the mere notion of her apologizing to me for anything. It was getting old doing that. 

"Whatever! I won't apologize for that, if it was true!" Said Delly haughtily.

"I don't want an apology!" I shouted angrily. "All I want is for someone, to take me seriously for once, and tell me what the heck is a cock? Because I asked Gale, and he choked on his tea, and got really embarrassed and told me I was too young to be talking like that." I said, and then the rest of the avalanche of words followed. "I just want to be able to ask questions about... everything without feeling embarrassed, or that what I'm going to be chastised for it, I'm curious about sex and how men work... And not just any old man, but the man, Peeta, and, for better or worse, you are the gals with the answers... So, _please_... Tell me,"

"Of course your Peeta appointed betrothed will be horrified to answer that question!" Laughed Cressida.

"He's not my betrothed!" I protested, "He's my friend, and as of a few days ago, he's officially courting Madge Undersee." I said haughtily, the other girls looked at me, two of them had rises eyebrows.

"Peeta will be displeased..." Sing sang Cressida.

"Well, he didn't asked my opinion about _appointing me a betrothed_ , so... There!" I said defensively, "He can't just force a marriage on me just because." I muttered darkly, "I can do just fine by myself!" 

Delly snorted derisively, crossing her arms over her chest, "I have to give to you, Everdeen... You are a piece of work," I was unsure if that was a complement or not, so I said nothing, "No wonder he's so obssess with you. Even undead man can't resist a challenge." 

"Any who... What do you wanna know?" Asked Bristel sympathetically from her perch, trying to ignore Delly.

"Everything. I wanna know everything."

 

 

What is it about sex, that makes people so uncomfortable to talk about it openly? It's such a taboo topic, it was a miracle these women were willing to speak about it with me, I had made my mind, I was going to milk the opportunity for all it was worth.

Normally, when people tried to talk about sex, they get all flustered and pink in the face, and then, come the slew of euphemisms, that was true even in the instance I found myself at the home Cressida, Delly and Bristel shared. 

Yes, they gave me "the talk", and yes, they explained about "the birds and the bees", and went as far as explaining in clinical terms what every piece and bodily part, did what, or was used for. I was grateful really, that finally someone had taken the time to 'educate me' about the act of coupling, although some of the girls were more useful than others... (Glaring at Delly).

None of the girls laughed at my questions... much... and it was very cathartic to talk about something that wasn't hunt or trade related for once. The story goes like this, and it was not all a waste of time:

"The male appendage... We call it cock, when it's proudly standing at attention... Like a alpha rooster would look like, while strutting about his hen house." Said Bristel thoughtfully. "Does that make sense?" 

"Yeah. I guess so," I said doubtful. "Do man call it that too? Gale seemed uncomfortable when I asked about it, and Peeta simply ignored the word altogether."

"I wouldn't peg Hawthorne for the openly, comfortable kind, so it doesn't surprise me in the slightest, he'd get flustered." Commented Delly, "Now, Peeta is a champ in bed, and his dirty talk is something else... It'll make any whore blush! But, I can see how he doesn't have time to teach his _pet_ , about sex talk." 

"Be nice, Dells. Remember your place in the chain, dear." Cressida sing-sang from the floor, where she was _knitting_ , out of all the things she could've been doing, she was knitting. Delly huffed disagreeably, but said nothing more. 

"What do you mean?" I asked, "about the chain? What is that mean?" I asked confusedly.

"Cress just meant, that Peeta has a priority list... You, are at the very top, for reasons only he knows, and then comes Delly, and then the rest of us." There's no self pity in Bristel's tone, but I see it bothers all of them a little. It bothers me too, and I'm not sure if this should be end of this specific line of questions. 

"Oh... I... I didn't know that," I ducked my fave sheepishly.

"Of course you don't know! You don't know much of anything, do you?" Snapped Delly again. 

"Delly..." Called Cressida calmly. "Of course Katniss doesn't know, he wants her like this, he wants her ignorant, or as he calls it 'Pure', Lavinia always said that's why he needed us, so he wouldn't ruin _her_!" Now, Cressida's tone was bitter, she wouldn't look at me, but I could tell the resentment was tight in her chest; maybe she felt used and unappreciated, and probably she blamed me for it, Delly seemed to do; so, why not Cressida as well?

"It's not her fault," said Bristel firmly, "All of us went with him voluntarily, and agreed to his terms upfront. We all knew exactly what and why we were doing it... Unlike Katniss. She was just roped in, and Peeta was conscious enough to realize she was a baby that needed time to mature... As to why he wont use her, is anybody's guess. But, I try putting myself in Katniss' shoes, and I kind of hate that she's been kept in the dark of so many things,"

"So you're just gonna tell her everything you know?" Asked Delly dryly. 

"Why not? If you were her, wouldn't you wanna know, what to expect?" Asked Cressida looking at her from her spot on the rug.

"It'll make him angry, that we've corrupted his precious, little crowning jewel," mocked Delly.

"Exactly!" Said Bristel brightly, "Wouldn't that be some sort of revenge, for all his affronts to your person, dear Dells?" Bristel smiled indulgently at Delly.

"It's not like we're taking her to the slag heap, to gather first hand experience." Added Cressida.

"We can keep her virginal and untouched, while giving her innocence the boot!" Provided Bristel. I realized the whole thing was more for them than it was for my benefit. Maybe they all felt bitter for the way Peeta treated them, and somehow helping me know things was their way of rebelling against his rule. I needed to know stuff, so I didn't complain. 

"Fine! Let her ask her questions!" Spat Delly, eying Bristel.  

"Alright!" Bristel clapped excitedly, and sprang out of her chair, and into the kitchen since the kettle started whistling loudly. "Go ahead Katniss, ask!" She called from the kitchen.

"Alright..." I think about it for a moment, "Am I to understand, that Peeta discusses me, with all of you?" I asked uncomfortably, if not a little vexed. "What does he have to say about me?" I asked wearily, their reactions told me they weren't  expecting me to start with that question, but Bristel came to set down a tea set tray on the table, with a couple of different types of cookies on a platter. She answerd casually. 

"Peeta does talk a lot about you." There was no inflection in her voice, "He's always seemed... _Enamored_ with you, even when he was first turned into what he is now." Delly made some snorting sound that caused Cressida to shoot her a warning glare, while Bristel ignored them altogether. She continued, "He was wholly invested in keeping you safe, fed and cared for. He never gave a reason, he just asked many questions about how were you faring when I used to come see him. Then, when the whole thing with your old man happened... Well, things got weird," she frowned handing me a cup and saucer.

I took a sip from my tea, a deliciously warm, smooth, sweet flavor coating my throat, soothing what I hadn't realized was scratchy and raw from my encounters with my folks. I thanked her for the beverage, and then cleared my throat to ask,

"How did things turn weird?" I could feel the trepidation in my voice. 

"He got kinky." Snarled Cressida behind her teeth, she was still knitting, but her knots where harsh and fast. "He wanted us to wear wigs with braided hair, dress a certain way, pretend we were sweet, innocent little girls, instead of the experienced, used up whores, we were." It was my turn to furrow my brow, I was confused by her anger, and then looked up at me, and it was like she hadn't realized she was the one who had spoken. Then added, "He-he never gave us false ideas or allowed us to create any sort of aspirations, his rules were clear, he only slept with women, who had lost their purity with a living man already. He only slept with women because intercourse curbed his feeding frenzy; we would only have to go as far as we were comfortable, and lastly, he'd take care of us financially... Since we were most likely to become pariahs around town; as you can see, our families and friends want nothing to do with us," there was a hint of bitterness and resentment behind Cressida's tone, and I felt truly sad for the women for the first time. Being Peeta's lovers was a hard life, I wondered why they chose it, so I asked.

"Why would you accept his terms? Why even go into that relationship?" I said with honest concern, "Nothing could ever justify losing your family and good name, for a vampire." 

"Why did you accept his deal?" posed Bristel, "Why did you enter a relationship with him? As differebt as it from ours, your's is also very strange and unhealthy, Katniss. Forgive me for saying it, but, it's true. The man has have an obsession with your survival for years, he basically killed Cato Ludwid for assaulting you, and then he got a chance to rope you into his life style. Were your reasons justifiable, then?" I stared at her for a long time. Then I nodded.

"I... I had to protect my family, save my papa, Lilian and my sister," it was only a whisper, but it carried, and I saw the reactions of the other girls, "I had no real choice..." The girls exchanged glances with each other, but Bristel was the one to addressed me.

"Exactly. Each of us had a motive. He knew it, we knew it, it was comfortable" I was about to ask a follow up question, when Cressida mumbled out something under her breath that sounded like,

"Except for Delly, she had no real pressing reason to go to him," Her comment was snidy and a bit malicious, and I doubt anyone was supposed to hear it, so her eyes snapped up and I caught her sight, her eyes widened, but I cleared my face of any reaction, I didn't want her to think I was going to rat her out. That was a question that could wait for another time, preferably in private.

"I see." was all I said, turning my eyes to Bristel. "I guess I've never thought, that Peeta would take advantage of other situations, you know, to procure a beneficial deal for himself," I said pensive.

"Well, that's certainly unfair," Said Delly calmly, "Every deal he made was mostly to benefit the partner, all he got out of it was stave off his bloodlust, which I believe is more beneficiary to the population. He never saw any of us like anything more than, a distraction from his next kill. Hardly a terrible action, in my opinion," she rolled her eyes, and I could see her point of view. 

I had to admit, following Bristel had been the most educational action _I_ had taken in forever.  I still had questions, but I sipped on my tea, allowing my mind to process the information that had been given by these women, it was interesting insight on things I knew nothing about Peeta, and I realized I knew _almost_ nothing about Peeta in any regard or aspect of his 'life', and it bothered me greatly to think of it. 

"So, Peeta had some kind of agreement with all you three, and I'm assuming the other _one timers_ as well." It was a statement, not a question, in order to make sure my brain had stored the information in the correct slots, "He also talked about me while spending time with you, and he wanted you to engage in different... Um... You know, _bedroom_ , activities, right after my very public agreement with him... Would you mind my asking about what he said to you about me, and what his new _wants_ were?" I asked because I was curious, but also because I needed to have an idea as to what would be expected of me, should Peeta came back and claimed me for good.

Delly rolled her eyes, but her answer was actually honest and informative, "He kept talking about how you needed to be safeguarded, protected, and all that nonsense, as if he didn't know who you were and what you did for a living. If he's a predator, so are you... granted you only hunt and feed from woodland critters, but still, it's not like you're some kind of helpless damsel in distress, that needs a man to save her all the time." She flicked a section of curly blond hair back carelessly, as if to show how unaffected she was by this story.

After sipping her tea for a second, she added, conversationally, "I tried telling him _that_ more than once, but he wouldn't hear of it... Idiot!" she huffed and rolled her eyes, "Then finally, one day, he came all bent out of shape, he rushed me and Cress to his manor. I'm pretty sure he would've taken Brie as well, but she was out," she shot Bristel a glare and continued, "And then he was pounding inside of me, like an animal, screaming your name the whole time. Cress had already been fucked into the ground when he turned to me... He... He kept praying apologies to you as he pounded in us..."

Delly cut her blue eyes to me, and instead of the all encompassing hatred I've felt from her all evening, I saw a mixture of sadness and vulnerability there, that left me speechless and feeling guilty, for heavens know what reason... I had no control over his actions, but I did feel terrible at his treatment of the girls. It was clear to me then, how much of a surrogates all those women had become; I knew that already, he as well as told me so the day of my sixteenth birthday, when he couldn't control himself as he kissed me during that picnic. He wanted to have sex with me the whole time, but he wouldn't, so he used this girls on my stead, and I didn't quite know how to feel about it.

"I-I'm sorry." I offered softly and then my eyes fell to the rug beneath my feet. "I... I had no idea. I don't know why wouldn't he just f... Um... You know... _F-word_ me?" I cringed at my own prudeness, I was eighteen for heaven's sakes! Why couldn't I just used the word like a normal person? Delly had just dropped it not a minute earlier.  

Bristel rolled her eyes, and sat her half full teacup down on a little table next to her, before addressing me, "Alright, first of all... We need to work on your cussing, it's not good nor it's intimidating, and you're just too petit to be going around without proper 'stay-the-fuck-away-from-me' vocabular..." 

"She doesn't need it, Brie! She's Katniss- _fucking_ -Everdeen," cut Cressida not even looking up from her knitting. 

"So? She's still young and tiny; men could think they can get fresh with her," Countered Bristel, it sounded to me like they were just messing with me for a moment, none of them had a problem spewing the 'f' word, but then why would they?

"Didn't I just call her a predator? She's got a bow and arrows, she knows how to kill things. No man is gonna mess with her, because not only has she a weapon, she also is the resident vampire's intended... No one in his right mind will mess with someone that can shoot through the eye, nor has a ' _monster_ ' for a boyfriend." Bit Delly exasperated. _Boyfriend_ , the word made my heart speed up and my face to blushed, I couldn't hold back the stupid tiny smile. God, I was such a goner! Too bad he was dead.

"She's still a kid, she doesn't have to cuss though... I think is cute." said Cressida dismissively. 

"I don't want to be cute!" I snapped making the other girls stop their bickering and actually looked at me, "I wanna be an experience, sexually knowledgeable woman... Like you three. I'm not a little girl, and I'm defintely not cute!" I crossed my arms over my chest petulantly, and Bristel bursted out into a full-belly laughter, that had her heaving for air in no time. 

"Look at you Everdeen! So you wanna become a sex fiend like the rest of us?" Cackled Bristel holding her stomach.

"I don't think you are sex fiends." I Said innocently, surprising myself. I truly meant it too. "At least, not like that... You aren't like prostitues or anything. And... You're the only ones that know what it is to... You know, _sleep_ with _him_?" My voice was barely audible, and it was Cressida the one to speak next, because both Bristel and Delly where just shocked.

"Well, thank you, dear. You must be the only person in the district to think that way. Most everyone else only see whores when they look at us, although we really don't sleep with other men... much." She cut her eyes at the other two, glaring. 

"Fine. What would you like to know?" Asked Delly curtly.

"Mmm... Everything?" I responded tentatively. "How to go about it? Does it really hurt the first time? W-will he expect me to-to  _do_ anything... Or _know_ how to do something? And what should I do when he bites me?" I felt flustered as my barrage of questions poured out of my mouth. "I mean... Did he hurt you the first time he bit you? He seemed to had freaked out when he bit me..."

"Wait! What? What do you mean _bite_?" Screeched Cressida, the alarm in her face was making me anxious, as if I had messed up, as if I had said something wrong. 

"Did he _bite_ you? Are you serious? I can't believe... Oh heavens! Why? How could he?" When Bristel jumped from her seat and grabbed my face and twisted my head to the side, looking for an inexistent bite mark as she spoke rapidly, I was sure I said something I wasn't supposed to.  

"I... It was... I think it was an accident," I shrugged halfheartedly. "I mean, we were talking one second, then he's kissing my forehead, then my cheeks, then my nose, and... my lips. Then I had no shirt and he was... Um... Palming my chest, kissing it... And then his tooth scratch my throat... It was merely a puncture. It was small and gone two days later." I shrugged again, and Bristel  let go of my neck. Delly only looked at me with a unreadable expression. "Um... He-he ran out on me though? He... He told me he was coming here to get you both, and... well... I think, it was the same day he... Um... Had you both at the same time." My face burned with embarrassment, I couldn't hold their gazes, although I was aware of their eyes heavy on me, so I tried to chuckled a bit, and said, "I figured it was standard for a vampire to bite his partners."

"Uh... No," Bristel dragged the word out, watching me carefully. "No, honey, none of us had ever been biten by him. In fact, it was one of the more clearer rules about being a recurrent _date_ , he never fed from us." she stressed, "Feedings he took elsewhere. I've never heard of him even... He... How..."

Delly sighed. She had been silent the whole time until then. "You said it was an accident? He bit you by accident?" 

"Well... The whole thing was an accident, according to him. He... He had always refused to even hold my hand, then he's kissing me in the mouth, and then it was like I didn't have control over my own limbs, I felt myself holding my arms away from me so he could slip my clothing off, and then I just let him do whatever he wanted, it was like my head was full of cottonballs," 

Cressida chuckled, "I know the feeling. It happened to me on my first time with him."

"Me too," Offered Bristel pensive, "You?" She asked Delly, 

"it only happened the first time I saw him, after he came back... Undead. After that, he never made me feel like that again. And, yes, it was him. If he feels lust, he will push thoughts on his intended partner, and then... You have no choice but to go with him. Except, he hates doing that, so he usually controls the urge to invade your mind with his commands. He hates forcing women..."

"That didn't stop you from saying he did!" I threw at her venemously. She returned a murderous glare my way. 

"The truth is, he never bites his lovers. He must've lost all control over his impulses with you." Said Delly still glaring at me. "Once again, flaunting his preference for an inexperienced, Seam rat, that's not old enough to know how to please a man." 

"Delly..." Warned Bristel.

"It's alright," I said unaffected, "I know how ignorant I am, and thats why I want you to teach me all you know. I can't be expected to stay pure my whole life, he will take me at some point, I need to know what to expect..."

"Alright Katniss, we will tell you about the birds and the bees." Giggled Cressida standing from the rug. She placed a warm hand on my forearm and squeezed it in a comforting manner. "We are here to help you, won't we girls?" 

"Of course!" Said Bristel with a huge smile, and Delly simply rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Whatever. Just... I hope you arent the squirmy type." said the blonde as she sighed in defeat, "So, yeah as we said earlier, a _cock_... Is a man's penis, when it's fully erected and ready to penetrate a partner... A _pussy_ , is not a cat, it's the female vagina, now, let us tell you about the clitoris and its importance..."

Gosh... were all sexual euphemisms based of off animals?

 

 

All in all, the girls were great sports, and they taught me a lot; they invited me to stay for supper, which I helped with, and then since I still had questions, they invited me to spend the night. I didn't return home until sunrise, I wanted to be there to fix Prim's breakfast since I missed her dinner. As I made my way home, I felt a little wiser, thought a lot about Papa and Lilian and our situation, and although not all of my questions were answered, I had a better understanding of the relationship Peeta and the girls had, and how he seemed to feel a more intense passion for me, which I had no idea about. In short, a good educational evening.

 

 

To be continue.... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, will be more plot advancing! See you next week!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeated. Every mistake in this story is mine. Oops. 
> 
> Different POV in Italics.

_Skin._

_Glorious, smooth, pliable olive skin._

_Miles, and hordes of skin..._

_His fingers slide out from the depths of her mouth, where she's been sucking eagerly, to show him what she could be doing elsewhere on his anatomy; he caresses her luscious skin, with the very damp tip of his digits, all the way down from her lips, to her calves, and she sighs softly._

_Her head is tipped backwards on the backrest of his plushed, velvety burgundy upholstered couch. When he sucks on the pebbled nipple of her pert breast, she gasps in pleasure, arching her back, in offering of her chest to his salivating mouth. His other hand drapped around the back of her neck, keeps her in place, secured in her spot on the couch, as he assaults her skin._

_Her feet are firmly planted at the edge of the seat cushion, the back of her heels almost touching her round butt cheeks, limbs bended at the knees; her legs are completely parted, falling to the side, widely open for him in this position._

_It's obscene, just how much he loves watching her like this. She doesn't have a stitch of clothing on her immaculate body, and she's moaning softly, keening weakly, enjoying taking the torture as much as he does enjoy giving it... But then, just like that, he's aware of the now familiar niggling sensation of guilt, and the panic starts to unravel slowly... He's not sure she's enjoying any of this of her own free will, or if it is because he's telling her mind to go with it, accept it, and like it. But, still he can't seem to stop himself; he won't touch her in her pleasure point just yet... No, he has other plans for the juncture of her tights, so he ignores the feelings of discomfort and allows himself to proceed._

_For now, he's content with what he's doing to her, and since she's not begging for more yet, he continues teasing her lightly, with barely there touches on her skin. Her chest starts to heave sensuously, she makes tiny meowling noises, as he presses his teeth, covered by his lips, around her erected nipples. He smirks deviously when her breathing quickens, and her heart rate intensifies._

_He increases the pressure, a loud moan escapes her mouth, hand he realizes where this is going... he feels lightheaded, euphoric, high. He can feel the heat of her blood flow on his lips as he sucks on her breast. He feels alive, now that her heart is racing to keep up, and he realizes where this is all going..._

_The panic spreads slowly in his tightened chest, a series of alarms start to go off in the back of his brain, and suddenly he knows this is another nightmare, but still he can't jerk himself awake from it. Elsewhere in his sleeping mind, his hand plunges into her opened legs roughly, her bottom rises from the couch, so his fingers slide right inside of her, without seeking invitation, let alone permission; there's no decorum, no gentlenes, no love in his action, only mindless lust... Blood lust._

_"PEETA!" She cries desperately while he shoves his entire hand inside her, hard, without much concern of her willingness to have her body invaded that way, and she starts to scream now, finally scared, all the previous pleasure gone, because his teeth are bared on her breast and he is biting her beautiful delicate skin right off her body. Blood drips from where his mouth is latched on to her nipple, and she's trying to push his head away with the heel of her hands, but it's useless, he's a vampire, she just but a sixteen year old girl, that had no way in hell to stand up to him, and defend herself from such predator._

_He begs himself to wake up repeatedly, he doesn't want to see what comes next, but it's no use. If he could breathe, his breath would have choked him mid scream, but no such luck for the wicked, his throat burns raw, as the blood curling sound leaves his mouth. He cries out to any deity to be woken, but no, he has to suffer, seeing what he does to the woman he loves, day after day, night after night. It's his curse, and he left her behind because of it... because in his mind's eye, she's not twitching anymore... in his mind's eye, he has drained her dry, and he can only watch her body go completely still, pale, bloodless... dead._

_Her throat has long been slashed open by his own fangs, and he's drank every last drop of her. Her once unblemished skin, that he loves so much, is littered with punctured marks, gashes and missing pieces, but he's licked her clean, no crimson in sight._

_He's disgusted with himself both subconsciously and the part of him that knows this is not actually happening. In his dream, he's crying, screaming her name over and over, as he crushes her lifeless body to himself, and then he can feel the grip of madness on his shoulder... It's calling his name, shouting it, really, and finally... He's awake._

_A deep, relieaved sigh echoes around his room. Peeta sits upright in a swift motion, a growling noise coming from the back of his throat as he's brought back to the land of the wakeful._

_"Good! You're awake." Says the saccharine, unmistakably sarcastic tones of Johanna Mason, a female vampire he's befriended in his travels._

_"I'm sorry Jo... nightmare," he says rubbing his face roughly with both hands, she snorts then, and tells him sounding more like herself,_

_"No shit! I think the whole village believes we were torturing some poor bastard with all your wailing."_

_He glances at her, eyes narrowed in annoyance, it's not like enjoys watching himself murdering Katniss every time he closes his eyes. Johanna, who had been siting at the edge of his bed, with her arms crossed over her chest, softens a bit at the sight of his internal war._

_"Look, Peeta, I know you are having a hard time with this, but, the dreams won't go away until you turn her, we've been over this..."_

_Peeta cut Johanna off, mid sentence, suddenly standing from his prone position. "No!" He barked, "Not an option. It will never be an option. Katniss is the only pure, innocent thing left in my world, and I will keep her that way, for the rest of her natural life. No turning her, no defiling her, and that includes no fucking her!" He paced the length of his bedroom in inhuman speed, roughing his hair in his fists as he went._

_"Fine! Suit yourself, Peeta." Huffed Johanna annoyedly, "But mark my words, you will sucumb to your desires sooner, rather than later. That poor child, will be ravished, and broken and killed, if you ever return to your town. You won't be able to suppress your want for her, for her blood, because for our kind, there's nothing more compeling than the loss of innocence," spat Johanna angrily._

_"Well, you are right about something! None of that will happen if I never return, so I won't! I have to protect Katniss from myself, and that means never seeing her again... In fact, I'll never contact her again!" He snapped angrily at Johanna's retrieving form, before collapsing on his bed again. But he had made up his mind, he was never to go back home._

_Katniss was more important than anything, and if he wasn't there to hurt her, then he needn't to be worried about, after all, he'd left contingency plans in place before leaving; Hawthorne was supposed to marry Katniss in the eventually that Peeta never returned, and there were also money and jewels at his manor, that Snow had somehow hoarded over the centuries he had been roaming the land; Peeta had left previsions into place, so if he should never come back, Katniss, Prim and his father were named beneficiaries, of the riches in the manor._

_He could stay where he was, never go back, the humans were better off without him... Katniss would be safe from his perverse ways. So it happened, he cut off all communication with his former home, in order to prevent harm to his beloved Katniss._

_Six months into his self imposed exile, Peeta decided it was time to leave the comforts of Johanna's house as well. She had been very generous, allowing him a place to stay, to feed, and lending even her own body to him; it would have been a terrible disservice to her, if he said he hadn't enjoyed her generosity, but she didn't appreciate much, being called someone else's name in during the hight of physical pleasure._

_In more than one occasion the affair had ended with her sinking her unforgiving fangs on his skin and tearing flesh that would immediately heal itself, leaving no apparent evidence of ever having happened. Her retaliation for being called Katniss' name during coitus, was usually harsh and very painful, so after a few times of it happening, Peeta decided Johanna was too much trouble, for the small relief he yielded from the far in between successful encounters they had have. They never slept together again._

_His nightmares about Katniss hadn't really gone away either, they only morphed into different settings with each month that passed; in one instance, he had come home to find her hair greying, her eyes wisened, and her hands wrinkled. She had smiled at him, and simply offered him her wrist, that he readily took, and drained her of her life in seconds. When he looked down at her in his nightmare, she had a ghost of a smile in her pale face, her eyes were glassy, blind, and lifeless, yet they still were hers._

_He knew, beyond doubt, she would always be waiting for him. He knew, she would somehow dissolve the arrangenment he had worked out with Hawthorne, and never marry the boy, because that was how stubborn the woman was, and he couldn't decided if he was elated, angry, scared or more deeply in love with the girl he had been fighting so hard to run from._

_He knew it was a matter of time, before he broke down and return to his district and to Katniss. If they premonitory dreams hadn't ceased, it only meant, he'd find his way home one day, he will kill her in the vilest way, and he'd have to find a way to kill himself right after, because there was no afterlife with out her._

_Johanna seemed relieved, when he informed her of his plans to leave. He realized how much of a burden he had become to her, so before leaving, he took her to her bedroom, and spent the whole night apologizing to her privates with his tongue and hands. When he left, she had the biggest, wolffish smile, he had ever seen on her lips... It made him chuckle._

_"Are you going to be alright?" Johanna asked loudly from the stoop of her door, right as he was crossing from her fenced in loan, and into the street._

_He turned around half way, before responding with a slight smile, "Of course I will! I need to find answers, and I know there's someone out there with them, I just need to find him!"_

_Johanna nodded, "I would wish you luck, but then again, luck for our kind has never been fair. Keep safe, blondie! Come back if you don't find what you're looking for. You're always welcome here," she said, and then returned inside her house, Peeta waves goodbye, fully knowing that if ever, he returns, won't be for a long stay, much less to seek physical contact, after all, Johanna doesnt satisfy him, nor distract him from the real owner of his dormant heart..._ Katniss _._

_Everything starts, and ends with her. He should know this by now. It's useless to stay away, and deny his urges to go fly back to her; still, he wont go back, until he can find a way, in which he can stop fate, to destroy Katniss' frail life, he will figure out a way to keep her safe from him, and still make her his, because it is clear, his body craves her, her life force, her youth, her innocence. But he refuses to force her into being a piece in a cruel game of destiny, he will succeed, and then he will return to her side to claim her._

_How hard can it be to find answers?_

 

* * *

 

Today is the 8th of May. Another one. This one marking my twentieth birthday. My father made a very deal out of it, his baby girl was twenty years old, a grown woman with self reliant skills that allowed her independence. Not that it meant anything in our small town, I was still viewed as the Vampire's bride, but last night, father bought everyone a round of ale in the town's only tavern, cheerfully claiming,

"Two more years, and she'll be free from that monster's clutches! Free to have a life without fear of his shadow!" 

I had to roll my eyes at that. Papa has become increasingly clingy to me, but at the same time, the longer it goes without news of Peeta, the happier and more relaxed Papa gets. Maybe the guilt that still makes him drag his shoulders down, lifts a bit every month that passes and he doesn't have to see me paying for his mistakes.

To me though, the eight of May, doesn't feel very different than any other day, in fact I doubt it will be different at all, just one more day to flick off, and feel older, knowing that now I'm closer in physical age to my vampire. Whatever Papa thinks, I still hope, for Peeta's return. I miss him, I sincerely can care less if the rest of town thinks me crazy or stupid. I love Peeta, and hopefully, if he still exists, he misses me too.

I'm idleing walking through the woods, meandering through the lush green forest, breathing in the sweet aroma of spring, as deep as I can; I'm not here to hunt, today I gave myself the day off, on account that it's my birthday, which makes me snort and stifle a chuckle... I guess I do find it the date to be different, after all. But then again, all I'm doing is reminiscing on what has gone on in my life in the last couple of years.

My mind can't help but to wonder where Peeta is? Wondering if he will ever come back? I still hope he does. Then my thoughts go to one place I don't usually allow them to go to, the terrible world of ' _In another life_ ', because If he had lived, if Snow had never have come to our small little town, Peeta would have been twenty seven years old today, and now that I too, am in my twenties, the disparity in age wouldn't have seen so markedly glaring.

But alas, I sadly, will never know how life would have progressed without Snow's acursed intervention. 

In the last of couple of years, I've come to understand a lot about the world that surrounds me; I've made friends with a few new people, mostly girls, that have been a refreshing balm to my dreary existence.

First of, I have Madge Hawthorne, nee Undersee. Gale and Madge's love life was the biggest piece of gossip this town ever saw, besides the supernatural going ons. I guess the many, little differing facts of who they were, was fascinating to people. I didn't see the appeal to stalk the love birds as they walked around town, hand in hand looking perfectly in love, like other denizens did. 

Gale was supposed to be my future husband, were my vampire suitor never to return, yet, Gale had started to court Madge, the Major's daughter, and of course, everyone had expected the affair to be a short one, since everyone thought the Major would disapprove of his only child to get involved with a lowly coal miner, but, the Major was elated about the union... Until Gale propose, and the fear of Peeta's retaliation reared its ugly head. 

It took me several public speeches, declaring I had never intended to follow into that directive, and reiterated my support and happiness, at my friends union, before the townsfolk relaxed, and accepted the impending nuptials. I did have to come out and announced I would take full responsibility, in any eventuality of problems ever rising, for the town's actions and acceptance for the couple. It was annoying, but seemingly necessary to keep the peace around town. 

Then, there was the frienships I had develop with Cressida and Bristel, Peeta's former play things. Both girls had grown on me, so I visited them quite frequently, every time I did, I learned something new, like for example, the house they lived in, was Peeta's from before he had turned into a undead. It was a surprise for me at first to hear this, but, then Bri asked me,

"Is it really that surprising? Peeta had just turned twenty one years old when Snow killed him. Would you have expected a fully grown man to still live in his father's apartment above the bakery, while his father had a new wife and all?"

The answer was no, I really didn't think much of Peeta's personal life back then, it wasn't that I was not interested in him, I had a big crush on him already, it was just, I was a kid then, and didn't really think much about what was sensible for a man his age to do. It still bothered me, I had no knowledge of this. I wondered and obsessed about it for months... why would a twenty one year old man buy a house, on the outskirts of town, so far away from the bakery, which was certainly going to remain his place of work? 

Was it because he found a great deal he couldn't pass up? Was it because he had plans to marry any one, and needed his own place to live in? Was it because his house, was the closest to hers in the area called The Seam, where her family lives? She dearly hoped it was the latter, although there was no real reason for him to take _my_  living arrangements into account, when procuring his own roof. I was only a fourteen year old kid, but then, there were Lilian's nasty accusations, saying Peeta had been watching me like a man watched a woman, even then. 

It was now water under bridge. As everything else with our messed up situation, there was not sense on losing sleep puzzling over what 'could've been'. Wallowing on what-if's was a dangerous road, I was not willing to go down through, so I decided to stop thinking about it. All I needed to know, was that Peeta had deemed it necessary for the girls to have a place to live on their own, considering their associatio, and he had the perfect place already. 

Delly was still as abrasive as ever. I still had no clue as to what her problem with me was, so I tried to avoid or ignore her completely. Sometimes though, she'd look at me, a mixture of hurt and disdain in her eyes, and still wondered allowed, "What did he ever see in you?". The truth, is I didn't know it myself, so, it was a moot point to keep wondering, guessing and day dreaming about it. 

I was completely lost in thought, reminiscing of my life thus far, when I realized my feet had brought me to the middle of town. I hadn't plan on coming there at all, there was no business awaiting my attention that day, no barter or merchandise swap, no reason at all for me to visit the merchant side; so I debated either going to see Bri and Cress, or go into the sweets shop, and get some taffy for Prim. 

Prim had grown so much in the last few years. She was nearly four years old now, with long, straight blonde hair, that I would comb and weave into two braids, adorned with ribbons that matched her outfits. She had Lilian's eyes, blue as a pale morning sky, almond shaped, and big, and sweet. She was darker than Lilian though, not olive as Papa and I, but lighter; there was enough of the Everdeen features in her to make her one of us. She had our nose and lips, her hands and feet were exactly like mine and Papa's, and then she had a spark all of her own.

At three and three quarters, Primrose Everdeen was smart as a tack, with a budding sense of humor and fairness that was uniquely hers. She also seemed to be more adept at recognizing plants, but she was still little, I was sure between Papa and I, we would teach her the ropes of our family trade. 

Thinking of Prim had brought an unconscious smile to my face. I had come to a truce with Likian and Papa, I backed off a little in what was the raising of Prim, allowing them to be the actual parents, and me falling into my rightful role of spoling, big sister. I did get to buy her dolls, and dresses, and take her on picnics just the two of us, all the time.

I loved Prim, but I understood it was unhealthy for everyone, to continued as we were, so I told them I would back off, if they did the same for me. Papa and I still disagree on the amount of ownership Lilian gets in the house, yes, she's papa's wife, but the only reason she's alive and living with us, is because I felt pity for her and intervened on her behalf, so I still consider her to be more of a secondary party than an actual authority figure. 

I look up, and see I have arrived at the sweet shop; it's a cheery, homey little place, not very different than the bakery, with large display windows, a small bell that jingled when the front door was opened, and ceiling to floor stands, full of different types of candy and sugary treats. Mrs. Leeg and his twin daughters tended the shop, while her husband, Mr. Leeg stayed in back working on the confections. 

The whole place smelled like cotton candy, and peppermint, it made me smile and breath deeply, enjoying the scents of sweetness. 

"Miss Katniss! Welcome to our store," Said Mrs. Leeg offering a pleasant smile. "How may we serve you today?" She asked soon after.

"Afternoon Mrs. Leeg, I was just in the market for a treat for Prim!" I smile back at her. 

"Of course, dear! How about our brand new tot-pops?" She asked moving from behind the counter, and reaching into a tray in one of the spots on the stands, "Father has just come up with the idea of looping soft sticks, into handles and spun smaller size, flat lollipops. You see," she continued as she showed me the tray with exactly what she was talking about, small, flat discs of candy, with a white loop for a handle  stead of the usual stick, wrapped in cellophane paper, "the smaller children won't choke, or shove the candy so far back into their throats, plus this kind of candy, dissolves faster in the little ones mouths." 

I look at the pops and pick one up, twirl it in my fingers, and look back at the lady, watching me with kind eyes and a soft smile. I smiled in return, "I'll take two, plus a bag of caramel popped corn!" 

Mrs. Leeg quickly went around the counter to bag my purchases, and just then one of the twins came out from the back, "Hi Katniss!" She said smiling, as she took a sit behind the register, I simply waved my greeting to her. Her mother tallied the total amount I owed, and as the Leeg twin is passing my change back, she politely says, "By the way, happy birthday! You must be excited to be twenty!" 

"Oh," I gave a small laugh, "I doesn't feel very different than nineteen. But, yes, it's been a good day." Righty before I could grab my bag, Mrs. Leeg jumps in. 

"It's your twenties the birthday? Well, in that case..." She bended at the waist to pull something from under the counter, and before I could protest, she had given me small box of bonbons. They weren't the expensive set of bonbons, this box only had two, but I never indulged much in chocolate for it was pricy. "Here," said Mrs. Lee, "In the house! And hope to see you around soon, dear. Congratulation!" 

I knew it would be pointless trying to argue with the woman, she was not going to take my coin, and I was better off saving another treat for Prim anyway. 

Once outside, I contemplated were to go next. I could set for home, but I was so close to the bakery, I felt guilty for not swinging by, just to say hello to Mr. Mellark. He was always so happy to see me, as if my mere presence had brightened his day, every time I entered his shop. I only hesitated a moment, deciding it would do no harm to go see the baker. It was near dusk now, which would give me a handy excuse to only be there briefly and then head home for the day. 

The bakery was still fairly full of costumers when I arrived, nonetheles, Mr. Mellark waved at me enthusiastically, as he wished me a happy twentieth birthday loudly. A few of the patrons greet me and wish me a good birthday as well, and as I greet back in return, accepting they're well wishes, I start to feel... Weird. 

It's like I'm suffocating, like the air is running thin, like I can't fill my lungs full enough with oxygen. I start to feel dizzy, I smile at people who still wants to say something to me, and I try with all my might not to trip and fall, as I made my way up to meet the baker at the front of the line. I'm sweating, but its a cold clammy sweat, that doesn't bead up, but that dampens the roots of my hair.

I started wearing dresses and skirts more often when I turned eighteen, now it's a habit, if I'm not hunting and trading, I'm wearing a long skirt, with my hunting boots still strapped to my feet. Right now, I'm wishing I had trousers on, because if I do fall, I don't think I can get up gracefully on this prairie dress. My customary braid sticks to my neck, making me feel even more uncomfortable, I so wish to pull my hair up in a bun, away from my skin.

Someone happenes to comment on the stormy clouds gathering outside, it doesn't seem like ordinary spring shower either, so people stop pestering me, and going back to their orders of bread and pastries.

I'm just a pace away from the counter, when I can't keep my wobbly legs to stand straight. I keeled over. I hear the gasps and the murmurs of the people around me, but my eyes are blissfully closed. I think I losing consciousness, but a gentle arm is lifting me by the shoulders.

Next thing I know, I'm propped against wooded surface... The counter I surmised, as the edge digs on the middle of my back. 

"There there, Katniss. You're alright. You just need some air and you'll be right as day!" Says a deep male voice. A big, calloused hand is gently brushing hair out of my face, and suddenly I feel breeze, but it's arrhythmic and the gushes of air are coming in to strong... Someone is fanning me.

I cautiously opened my eyes, slowly, there's still a goid amount of people in the store, but I'm direc met by kind, amber colored eyes, "There..." Says my caregiver, it only takes me a second to recognize him, and then he smiles, pushing back from my face, the rest of my hair, "There you are... that's a good gir..."

The poor man didn't get to finish his sentence, when there was a flash of blonde and rage and a willingness to hurt, throwing him against the wall behind us.

I feel my eyes grow until the edges of the sockets hurt, and I have to consciously force them to return to a more manageable size. 

I'm momentary frozen and dumbfounded  what I'm seeing. Peeta has the man that just a second ago, was helping me get back on my feet and under control, by the neck. the man's feet dangling a foot or so above the floor, while a cacophony of shrieks, and pleads and cries fill the bakery. 

I can't think for a moment. Actually, I do think. I think and observe. Peeta's back! He's here! At last, Peeta is home! And he somehow looks... older, wiser, more powerful... More beautiful than before. His jawline seems to be more defined and sharp, his nose I can't tell if it shrunk or thickened, but his shoulders, arms and back definitely broadened. 

Then I hear the sharp intake of air of the man Peeta is choking to death, he's trying to talk, but he can't with that hand hard as stone constricting his windpipe, then I remember who he is, and deduced why is he being punished - He was touching me- so rush to them.

Peeta's face is hard and unforgiving. I try calling his name, but as usual, he can't hear me over his rage, so I do what I've always done... Pull on his arm with all my might, and scream his name closer to his ear, until he turn his dangerously wide, tumultuous blue eyes, his pupil is barely a dot of inky black, I've see this look, this is the look of a murdorours monster, the one that comes with fangs sharps as needles, this look is different than his predatory, lustful one, were his eyes are all pupil and hardly any blue irises. 

Im not sure which look scares me most, but this one, doesn't command me to stay quiet and obey, this look begs me to intervene, and bring him back from the abyss, so I do my best to pull him from the darkness.

"Peeta," I say softly once I've caught his attention, he's staring at me, lips trembling with the effort of staying shut together, I touch his shoulder cautiously, and feel his muscles tense up. So I back away, and try again, this time, I let him see my hand, before I touch his face, "Peeta, let him go... It's just Mitchell. He's got a wife and three children. He's not interested in me..."

"He was touching your face!" He rattles out, I can see the tip of his fangs peek out from under his lips, but nothing else.

"He was just helping me. I sort of fainted, and he was helping me get my bearings again. He didn't mean anything by his helpful gesture. He's our friend, it's just Mitchell... your father's assistant, remember?"  

In all the while I've been speaking to Peeta, he has slowly relented on his grip of Mitchell, by the time I asked if he remembers him, Peeta's eyes are almost back to normal, and Mitchell's feet are safely back touching the floor. Peeta looks at Mitchell for a moment, then back at me, as if to confirm I'm telling the truth. 

"He didn't hurt you?" I shake my head not, "He helped you?" I nodded vigurously. 

"He was just being a good friend." I assured, he nodded, and then retracted his hand fully, from the man's neck. 

Mitchell falls on his knees coughing, and a handful of people fall on to him to check him over and see that there's no further damage. 

"I'm sorry," muttered Peeta, "I... I misread your actions. Thank you for looking out for my bride," the last few words were said firmly and without hesitation. So he was here to claim, finally. 

Mitchell barely managed to give him a terrified look, as I start pulling on Peeta, to get away from the crowd. But Peeta turned to his father, and apologized to him, and to the rest of the patrons. Everyone is stiff as a plank of wood, faintly breathing, every eye is on us, and I realized Peeta's holding my hand tightl, every time he moves his hand, mine follows the motion helplessly. 

"Carry on as you were," Peeta tells everyone, "There's no need to rush back to your homes. I'm only here to collect a few vittles, for a special birthday celebration. Today everyone should celebrate as well." he said without much emotion or warmth in his voice, but then he turned to look me in the eyes, and his whole demeanor softened,

"A small cake, some bread, some cheese and bottle of wine, father," he called without tearing his eyes from me. Mr. Mellark ran to fill the order trying not to look at us too long, and then Peeta was yanking me to him, one hand carding his fingers on my lose hair, the other one around my wai claiming his ownership. "Let's go home, my love." he said softly, still loud enough I'm sure everyone heard, "I've missed you, and I can't stand one more minute apart from you." 

Without as much as an answer, his lips found mine, right in the middle of the bakery floor, and as soon as he had kissed me, he has pulling me behoing him, through the gathering in the shop, and out into the street. 

The sound of gasps and whispers followed us all through town, and still I hadn't been able to uttered a word. I was speechless, and confused and elitated and scared, I did not know where he was taking me, but I was gladly following him. 

 

 

TBC...

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there... Peeta's home, and he's taken Katniss somewhere. 
> 
> I will apologize before hand to all my readers, I will take a break from this story while I work on my submission for Winter In Panem over on tumblr. The moderator of the page is asking for prompts for the challenge (prompts can be Everlark, or any other pairing) so if you are so inclined to contribute, please go to winterinpanem@tumblr and send your ask. Then come back on the 20th to read and see the different entries from the community of writers and artists participating! It's gonna be great! 
> 
> I'm also finally moving to my new house. I'm trying to keep up with real life, and my fics, but right this second real life trumps Fanfiction, sorry. I do still love and appreciate your support, and I promise I will try to have something to post around Christmas time. For now, keep an eye out for an update on 'Pixie' and and outtake as soon as I can on 'Sheep's Clothing'.
> 
> Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it. Leave me a message, find me on tumblr. 
> 
> Happy Holidays!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy January! 
> 
> This is a work of fiction, the Characters of which belong to Suzanne Collins. 
> 
> Chapter unbetaed. All mistakes are mine.

" _Peeta, my friend! So glad you could join me this evening," The copper haired adonis smiled widely, taking Peeta's outstretched hand, and instead pulling him into a manly hug._

_"Oh, no. Thank you, for the invitation," Peeta responded gratefully, clapping the other man's back in greeting, finally realeasing him from his embrace._

_"Of course! Always willing to help a fellow vampire in need!" The handsome man's smile widened, flashing a perfect row, of even, white teeth._

_Peeta mimicked his host, smiling pleasantly, nodding his head in acceptance, and maybe feeling relieved for the first time in months._

_"Beautiful home you have here, Finn! I'm glad I was finally able to come see it for myself!" Peeta said, beaming as his whole torso turned about the place, so his eyes could scan the house without obstruction._

_Finnick Odair was a very well-off man, that was plainly clear. Although his property, was well in the description of a handsome mansion, the place was not ostentatiously decorated. It was classy, yes, but also inviting. Warm. Comfortable._

_Peeta took another step further into the open space beyond the foyer, and simply felt like the tension eased from his shoulders._

_He was finally somewhere, where he didn't have to pretend, or hide. He was amongst friends now, and most importantly, friends that had answers to the hundreds of questions he still hadn't figured out._

_After all, Finnick Odair, was what was called Keeper of the Secrets, in the upper echelons of the hierarchical vampire world, and boy, did Peeta needed all those secret answers._

_Finding this particular vampire had been possibly, Peeta's greatest achievement to date. It had been a right piece of luck too, when they crossed paths; some could even call it serendipitous. Peeta called it a divine sign that his time to go back to his beloved Katniss, was finally near._

_"Should we start with dinner then?" Asked Finnick motioning his hand, in cordial invitation for Peeta to follow him._

_"Lead the way my friend, I'm eager to learn everything there is to know," said Peeta, barely suppressing his excitement. If he had an actual beating heart, it would sure to be palpitating uncontrollably._

_"You will, my friend. You will. Now come, let's not make Annie wait too long... I don't want supper to get cold feet, if you catch my drift!" With a devilish smile, Finnick led the way up a spiral flight is stairs to the side of the room. Dinner awaited them, and Peeta could already smell the intoxicating aroma of fresh, flowing blood._

 

 

 

_"Yes... That's right," Finnick's voice was soft, soothing, "Easy does it. Don't suck too hard, you don't want to leave a mark behind..." He said calmly, as Peeta finally learned to paced himself._

_His fangs were sunk into the delicate wrist, of a woman named Annie. She was barely dressed, and draped boneless, over Finnick's lap. Her long, auburn hair spilling under her head in cascades._

_She was pretty. Beautiful even. Peaches and cream complexion, rosy, thin cheeks, a set of plump pink lips, and deep green eyes, currently closed in ecstasy. Still, in Peeta's mind, Annie didn't hold a candle, to his beloved Katniss._

_Since early on, Finnick had caressed and massaged the girl, in an attempt to relax her. Things had progressively gone farther for them, until finally his hand slowly slipped under her silk and lace undergarments. By then, Annie was immerse in the pleasurable sensations he was providing with the constant, languid caresses to her privates._

_"A liter of her blood, will be enough to sustain you for a few days, before you need to feed again," said Finnick absently, as he watched Annie's chest rise and fall rhythmically, stroking her heat lazily, causing her to moan softly._

_This was their second lesson on 'responsibly drinking from a living subject', and Peeta was a quick study. He had been only observing the very first time, taking note of the way Finnick fed from his human mate without causing her visible harm._

_Now, Peeta had been given permission to partake in the meal, and although Finnick explained during the previous session, that for a vampire, feeding was sexually arousing, there for the need to mate during or after a meal, Peeta wasn't really turned on by the task, at least, not at the moment._

_The display, and the noises, coming from the back of the woman's throat, as his fellow vampire masturbated her, was doing little to peak his interest. He could not think about anything, other than to pay close attention to the pressure he was exerting on her veins, as he extracted juice of her life._

_The woman was far gone, too lost in the feelings her vampire lover was giving her, to protest when Finnick instructed his new pupil, to start sucking from her. The fact that she thought his teeth were in fact Finnick's (which he knew, by the fact, that she had sighed Finnick's name at least five times since he'd taken her wrist into his mouth) and wasn't aware of the second vampire in the room, was oddly discouraging to him._

_Drinking from a live subject, without completely draining them, was all about self control, self awareness, and discipline._

_The way Finnick explained it, a vampire could couple with it's mate during a feeding, without killing it. The act would be pleasurable for both parties, as long as the vampire minded it's impulses and hunger._

_"Peeta, my boy..." Finnick touched Peeta's shoulder lightly, "Do you remember when you were human, how your stomach would feel when it was full, after you ate a nutritious meal?" He asked softly, combing the fingers of his free hand through Annie's shiny hair._

_Peeta emitted a moan, to signify he did indeed remember the sensation of fullness, of being satisfied._

_"Very well, that's good!" Finnick smiled kindly. "It's the same basic sensation with this. You will start to feel satiated. And just as with human eating habits, you can either indulge in overeating, or you can stop when you feel full, and let your donor be. Otherwise, you'll be left with a corpse."_

_Peeta made a helpless grunting noise. He understood the concept. He searched his own body for the feeling that would advice him to stop, and he soon he found it. He had a few minutes of struggle, between doing what Finn had taught him, and doing what his animal like instincts were urging him to do._

_He growled annoyed with himself. He had to stop, and he had to do it now! After another soft pull from Annie's wrist, he sighed reluctantly, with great effort he tore his mouth from the warm, delicious flesh, and let go of her arm._

_Annie inhaled a deep breath, as if relieved the assault on her veins had ceased._

_Sitting on his haunches for a moment, Peeta tried to level his adrenaline influx. He waited until he had calmed down from his feeding, licked  the corner of his mouth, where a droplet of Annie remained, and turned his eyes to Finnick's sea green ones._

_The elder vampire seemed pleased. He was smiling faintly, still running his fingers through Annie's folds under her underclothes. The woman simply gasped and sighed contentedly under her lover's ministrations._

_"Thank you for not drinking my mate dry," Finnick's voice was soft. "You did incredibly well, exerting self control in your first try. I have no doubt you will master the art of making love to your own mate, during a feeding,"_

_Peeta nodded, still unable to utter words. He was sure Finnick would have taken matters into his hands, were the need had arise._

_Gentlemanly quiet as he was, the other man no doubt wouldn't have had the slightest problem, using force, in the event Peeta hadn't minded himself, entering a feeding frenzy._

_Finnick looked intimidating and strong, even to other vampires. It was best to have him as friend, than foe._

_"Was that... Acceptable?" Peeta found himself asking, between calming breaths, watching his new found mentor from under his long, blonde lashes._

_"It was excellent actually!" Beamed Finnick. "Now, would you like to help me, getting Annie off? You could just watch, if you so prefer," He offered._

_It wasn't a malicious suggestion, it was simply an invitation to join in on an activity his host was about to embark. Last time, Peeta actually watched the whole show, mainly because he needed to see how his tutor went about, having an intimate relation with a human he held romantic desires for, without tearing the poor woman's neck apart in the process._

_Peeta had cringed and winced, the whole time, opting to avoid openly staring, when only the coital part of the encounter was in effect. Just as before, Peeta felt it wrong of him to intrude in such a personal thing, without asking Annie if she would agree to a third participant, in the act, not to mention a gaping audience._

_Even the thought of having other eyes watch him and Katniss make love, made him uncomfortable. No, his intimacy was not some sort entertainment, to be broadcasted lightly to the public, and neither was Annie's. If the woman hadn't  agreed to it beforehand, then he shouldn't be watching, let alone touching her._

_Shaking his head, he politely refused, "Thank you, but... I think I've abused your generosity enough, my friend. This is your chosen mate. I would never dream of touching a fellow vampire's mate, not even if offered the opportunity... At least not without the human's consent, and dear Annie here, is too preoccupied elsewhere in her mind, to be bother with consent,"_

_"Please, go ahead and give her, her release. I will wait outside the bedroom, until you're done here. I still have a couple of questions, I would like to ask you about."_

_Finnick 's smile widened slowly. "As you wish!" He said, his expression one of utter satisfaction at his pupil's words. "I won't be long. But, if you need anything, ask any attendant you see around!"_

_Peeta nodded, quickly gathering himself, to make his way out of the room._

_He hadn't even stood up from his crouching position, when Finnick had slip from under Annie's limp, keening body. He hadn't reached the door, when Finnick had rid Annie of her remaining clothing, including her tiny bottoms. Peeta heard Annie's intake of breath, and momentarily saw Finnick spreading the girl's legs open, his head dipping to meet her core with his lips._

_Peeta had barely closed the door behind himself, just as Annie had cried out a pitiful plea for more. When she started screaming "Yeeeesssss, like that, please!" He simply slumped against the door he had just snapped shut._

_He slid all the way to the ground, until he was sat on his bottom, and his back was flushed with the unyielding wooded door._

_He felt old and exhausted, as the girl behind the door got louder, and louder. When she begged Finnick to fuck her, in no uncertain words, Peeta brought his knees up, circled his arms around his legs, and buried his face in his arms._

_He was sure Finnick had obliged her request, since soon enough, his own moans could be heard intermingled with those of Annie._

_Peeta exhaled shakily, and scrunched up his eyes. He missed Katniss. He wished he could be back home fucking Katniss. He'd give anything to find out what she'd sound like, if he pushed himself inside her warmth._

_Finnick released a pained groan, and after a moment, everything was quiet._

_It was over. The lovers were done._

_Peeta straightened up. Rubbed his face roughly with his hands, and stood up from the floor. He moved away from the door, leaning casually in the wall closest to the spiral staircase they had climbed earlier. He only waited for Finn to emerged from the room a few minutes._

_Looking at him, one would never know Finnick Odair was freshly fucked. He looked all too invigorated, and full of energy; a jovial smile on his face. Not one lock of his perfectly coifed copper hair out of place. He seemed happy._

_He grinned at Peeta, and strolled in his direction, hands in his pockets, and a spring on his step. When he reached the younger man, he patted him on the back warmly, almost affectionately._

_"I will say that the first lesson was a success!" Declared Finnick, his hand gripping Peeta's shoulder in a reassuring gesture._

_"I sense there is a hint of humanity, still thriving in you. That's a good thing. Other vampires will say it's weakness, but, it isn't. Having respect and empathy for the living, makes you a responsible being, a responsible being, manages to stay in the realm of the living longer, the longer you live, the more powerful you are... I am truly proud of you so far, Peeta!"_

_Peeta smiled minutely. "Thanks. I had a patient, wise mentor."_

_Finnick accepted the complement gratefully, and with his hand still on Peeta's shoulder, guided him to the stairs, and the lower floors._

_"So, you mentioned you still have questions," he stated, "Let's hear them, maybe I have some answers for them."_

_Peeta imternally prayed Finnick was right... Hoped there were more ways he could learn to harness the hunger, the urges, the desperation. The faster he gather knowledge, the faster he'd be Katniss._

* * *

 

I'm clutching his hand, tightly in into both of mine for dear life. I'm afraid that if I let go, he'll disappear again, and I can't have that! 

Also, I can't stop staring at him either, but apparently my unwavering stare, it's alright with him, he himself can't seem to tear his sky blue eyes from me, only looking away, long enough to make sure we are still walking on even ground. 

The more I look at him, the more difficult it is to keep a goofy smile from forming on my lips. 

"I missed you," I whisper. I didn't mean to actually say it out loud, but it's the truth.

He stops in the middle of the deserted road, and faces me completely.

"I missed _you_." He places the heavy picnic basket he took from his father on the ground, and combs his fingers through his golden hair, "You have no idea how much I've missed you, Katniss," his voice is quiet, meaningful.

A soft smile creeps into my face, I'm giddy with excitement at his words, at the sound of his voice, and the weight of his hand in mine. I'm so happy he's back!

He looks a bit dazed, but finally brings his free hand up, to caress my cheek gently. "I can't believe how beautiful you've grown," he says in amazement, his voice is soft and dreamy, his eyes hold so much devotion and even love, it's overwhelming. 

I must be blushing furiously, since my face feels like it's it's burning with heat. I can't hold his gaze for a fraction of a second, so I look down at our hands, before returning my eyes to his.

His eyes rake all over my face greedily, while the tip of his fingers dance spasmodically everywhere at once around my facial features. I think he can't quite decide what he wants to touch first.

It's alright with me, he can memorize my face with his touch if he wants, I will allow him anything he wants just if he promise me he'll stay for good.

"I thought you were beautiful before, but now that you're a proper woman..." His mouth opens and closes, as if he couldn't summon the exact words he wants to express, "You're as radiant as the sun," He finally says. His voice breaks at the end, and quivers. "If you were the sun, I would gladly seek your beams, and let them consume me, burn me to ashes. To look upon your face, will be both a prayer answered and a relief for sore, tired eyes. And I truly want to just look at you, until the image of your beauty it's engraved in my irises."

"I don't care that I'm an undead monster, if you would have me, I would gladly stay by your side forever and always! I can't go through the torture of this separation anymore." His tone of voice took a turn, from sweet and romantic, to demanding and desperate, in a matter of seconds.

Before I can even attempt to respond, his hand wraps around my waist, pulling me to him roughly. 

I can't help the small surprised gasp that escapes my mouth, but then his lips are covering mine, insistently, and I just melt against him. My hand fists into his crisp, white, button-up shirt. The material is soft and textured to the touch, but when, I feel his muscles shifting under my knuckles, the urge to flattened my hands on his broad, solid chest wins out. 

He nips, sucks and licks my lips, with the desperation of a man that was thirsty, and found an oasis. His hand knots into the material of my skirt, at the small of my back, I wonder if he's as afraid as I am to let go, for fear that we will find the other is gone if we lose our hold for a moment.

"Marry me..." He rasps into my skin as his lips migrate down to my jaw, neck, and collarbone. 

"Yes..." I gasp my answer. I'm barely conscious that I've just agreed to marry somebody. I'm sure he will go back to that later on, after we've satiate our need to lock lips with the other.

He growls his approval of my response, tightening his hold on me, retracing the path his lips painted on my flesh, back to my mouth. 

I'm lost in a sea of sensations, that cloud my every tought, when a heavy, shaking hand lands on my shoulder, yanking me out of Peeta's arms. 

"Get your filthy hands off my child!" Papa's voice cuts into the fog in my mind, and immediately, I'm acutely aware of how besides himself is; shaking from head to toe, red in the face and spewing spittle as he screams in rage. "You get the fuck away from my little girl!" 

I've never seen my father act or talk this way before, it's actually a little scary to witness, specially because he's not screaming at just _any_ boy from the district, he's raging at frigging _Vampire_! And not just _any_ vampire either, but one that's been incredibly close, to snapping his neck in half for angering him. 

"Papa, stop!" I yell in panic. I try to grasp at the sleeve of his well worn flannel shirt, but he slaps my hands away. 

"You can't just come here, and assault my daughter! She's not your next meal, she's not your property, nor is she a toy, here for your entertainment! You stay away from her, you... _Demon_!"

Papa's words slur at the end, his open hands land on the very same chest, mine were splayed just a moment ago, only, he tries to push Peeta away, with as much force and aggression as he could muster, but of course, Peeta doesn't even move an inch.  

"You're drunk, Mr. Everdeen." Peeta's calmed statement  surprises me. His demeanor is cool and collected. "I won't hold you responsible for your actions this afternoon, sir. I can appreciate my prescence here is unexpected, and the current _situation_ ," He motions between him and me, "has rendered you quite agitated, scared, and understandably angry. I can understand that."

"You... You can understand that?" Papa's eyes narrow, and his voice lowers dangerously. "The hell you do! You were supposed to stay the hell away from her until her twenty second birthday, so she could be free from you! Instead you show up, intent on dishonoring her in front of the whole district, on her twentieth birth day," Papa bellows, his eyes look crazed.

I look around us, the street is not as empty as it had been when we've left the bakery a few moments ago. It hits me like a ton of bricks, how Peeta has officially been in town for less than thirty minutes, and he's already had two altercations... Because of me!

I'm also crying in desperation, I need to stop this now. I make a grab for papa's shirt again, in vain.

"Papa, let's go. Come on, people are watching," I beg with tears silently streaming down my cheeks.

Papa shakes me from him, not listening to my pleas, "I won't allow you to taint my daughter's purity! You won't defile her like you've done other girls. My daughter won't become a pariah in this town, for the likes of you!" 

"Mister Everdeen, I can assure you, you're mistaken. I would rather burst into ashes, before bringing harm or shame to Katniss. She's the only pure, truly good thing in my life. I'm not about to destroy that, in fact, the reason why I went away, was to find a way to honor her." Peeta sounds so pacific, unruffled by papa's verbal attacks.

His blue eyes find mine, "I love her," there is a host of promises in The depths of his eyes, I feel mildly reassured, but, he turns away from me to concentrate on my father who's continued his tirade.

"I don't believe you for a second, vampire." Papa says in a quiet, level voice, full of venom. "My wife has told me, how your eyes fixated on my Katniss, even when she was a little girl. You want to shatter her innocence, that much is clear," the accusation full of malice and poison, leaves my father's mouth, and Peeta slightly stiffens uneasily  for the very first time, since our kissing was forcefully interrupted.

"If you feel as strongly for my child as you insist, then leave her alone." Papa proposes calmly, one of his eyebrows arched, as he challenges Peeta for an answer. "You know as well as me, that nothing good will ever come, out of associating with a freak of the underworld such as yourself." a little malicious glint appears in papa's eye, because he's also noticed Peeta's minute movement, screaming at his discomfort. 

Papa is right, alright, nothing good will come of this, I truly have to stop this, now! But then Papa delivers a painful jab, that hurst me as much as it does Peeta.

"Only a sick perverted man, would lust after sweet, innocent young girls. Maybe that's the reason why Snow's bite didn't kill you. You were already a monster. You can't hide what you are anymore, _Peeta_. You can't lust after my child without consequence, I refuse to let you destroy her life,"

Peeta finally has had enough of papa's belligerent insults, and pushes back.

"You don't think I haven't felt like a piece of shit over this my whole life? Not that I have to justify myself to you, Everdeen, but I never did anything wrong! I never had unsavory thoughts, let alone intentions with Katniss, until her sixteenth birthday, and by then she was as good as woman!" Peeta lashes out, "I've loved Katniss for years, is true. I've cared for her since I was a twelve year old boy, but it was an innocent sentiment. She grew up, way faster that should've have, and that's on _you_!" For the first time since the altercation started, Peeta has touched my father, to jab an accusatory finger on his chest. "She became the adult you weren't for her!" Peeta's voice has rising exponentially, with every word he's said, but he isn't done. 

Papa staggered backwards, with the minimal force Peeta used to shove his pointer at him. I'm surprised and grateful, that the violence hasn't escalate anymore than shoves and risen voices, but knowing Peeta, that won't last long, and I'm sure he's held back for my benefit, still, the bitterness in his voice is unmistakable.

"I died in _your_ place, Everdeen, out of love, for her! For Katniss, so she wouldn't be left an orphan, alone in the world. But instead of being a good father, protecting her, dedicating your life to her, you were fooling around with _my_ father's _wife_! If I'm less than an outstanding man, then so are you... _Sir_!" Peeta looks menacing, but papa must be drunker than I tought, because he doesn't seem to be a bit afraid.

"As if I would believe that! Plus, I tought my daughter well, she is damned skillful hunteress. She could've taken her of herself," retorts papa.

"Bullshit! She was young, she needed you, instead she had to take care of both of yourselves, and then on top of it, she had to take care of your new _wife_ and baby as well. Who's the worse man, Everdeen? At least I admitted to myself I had a problem, and went looking for the help I needed, in order to deserve her,"

"Nobody will ever be good enough for her, you least of all!" Cuts papa.

"Why don't you ask her? She might tell you she's chosen her own path! And since the whole community is listening in on this private matter," Peeta looks around us with narrowed eyes, "Let me make an announcement," there are a few flapping of curtains from behind window panes, but otherwise we are alone out here, I don't doubt people have gotten better at staying hidden when this things happen. 

"Katniss Everdeen has agreed to become my bride." I can almost hear the collective gasps of my fellow denizens, "Tomorrow evening, with or without her father's approval, she'll become my lawfully wedded wife,"

"What?" Papa screeches. 

I'm speechless.

I'm in shock.

I wasn't expecting that at all!

"If you think I will allow that, you have another thing coming boy..." Papa is all in Peeta's face, screaming his lungs out.

I pull on papa's sleeve, pleading with Peeta silently, right behind my father's shoulder. My efforts are practically null, so I start begging, "Papa, you have to stop now. Peeta _is_  still a dangerous creature, just because he hasn't hurt you, doesn't mean he won't. Let's go home please!" 

Last year, while alone in the woods, I fell a seven point buck. It took me almost an hour to drag his heavy body from where I shot it, to my small hunting base. I cut it open, and field dressed it, just too alleviate the dead weight of the animal. Then it took me around two and half hours to haul it, all the way to the first house, by the edge of the woods. 

I had to promise the old lady that lived there, I would give her a whole leg of my kill, if she watched the carcass, while I ran to Ms. Rooba's butcher shop, for help. 

Although I buried the almost two pounds of entrails of the deer, and moved as fast as I could through the forest, the smell of blood has attracted several scavengers. Most of the animals while bothersome, were pretty harmless, but then, a very aggressive wild dog turned up. 

I have to say, I fought like hell for my kill. I fought the kill itself, I fought the annoying buzzards flirting overhead, the flies, the birds of prey, the rodents... I fought a wild dog, killing him as well in the process, and having to leave it where I defeated it, I even fought negotiations with humans over my own game, but I dragged the damn buck home with me! 

Right now, papa is my buck, Peeta is the wild dog I fear will take wind of the bloody scent, and attack, keeping me from taking my prize home safely. 

"Please," I plea, planting my heels on the ground, and pulling on papa's arm with all my might. "Walk away..."

Papa pivots, yanks hard on his arm, and in a fluid motion slams his hand square in my chest. 

I'm not Peeta, though. 

The full force of papa's strike, sends me flying backwards through the air. My lugs are suddenly emptied with a dull "Humpf". I'm disoriented, but I feel terrible pain on my back, when my body's nerves catch up with with my brain and the rest of my muscles. Something flat and hard, most likely the outer wall of some house, stopped my trajectory, which accounts for the loss of breath and the pain. 

My eyes are tightly shut, and try as I may, my ears can't hear anything other than a symphony of distorted and high pitched crickets. I have to move, but I can't. I think I cry out, but can't be sure about that either. I know there's something important, urging me to open my eyes and get on my feet, I just can't think of what's so pressing, for the life of me. 

Soft, soothing hands slide carefully over my face. My hair is being brush back from my forehead, and there's a soft voice talking to me, trying to get me to come back into focus, but, it's still to far off, and too much effort to follow. 

I try though, hard, until I can clearly hear, a clear, feminine voice call my name.

"Come on, Brainless. Wake up," I don't recognize the voice, but I really want to heed her insistent call.

"Her _name_ is Katniss!" Snarls a voice I actually recognize.

"Whatever! Anyone who would knowingly try to intervene in a fist fight, and can't take a punch to the gut standing, has little brains in my opinion!" The female answers, sounding half amused and half uninterested.

"Just... Leave her alone. Stop touching her, will you?" The other voice demands irritably.

I feel a thrilled at hearing this voice. It's been so long since I've last heard it... No... I just heard before I got smashed backwards into this wall. I've been hearing it for about an hour already. 

That voice, I effortlessly gravitate towards. 

"Peeta...?" I gasp breathily. 

"I'm right here Sweetheart," his voice doesn't sound as annoyed as it did when correcting the woman, whoever she was.

It dawns of me, that I'm half seated, half laying on the ground. I feel gentle hands slip under my legs, and wrap around my shoulders. In a second, I'm being lifted in strong arms.

Instinctually, I bury my face in the crook of Peeta's neck, and make it my home. 

"I love you, Peeta. Please, stay with me."

He says something in response, but my muddled brain can't pick up the words. The last thing I'm aware of, before passing out, it's that deep inside Peeta's chest, I felt a weak thump, when the words ' _I love you'_ , fell from my lips.

I must've been worse than I thought, because for a fraction of a second, it felt like Peeta had a heartbeat.

 

 

 

TBC...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. New updates should start to average between a week and two weeks from here on out, providing I have time to do so in that time frame.
> 
> Next we will finally see some Everlark action! 
> 
> Thanks for reading.
> 
> Leave a comment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work of Fan fiction, I do not own the characters of THG.
> 
> Long-ass unbetaed chapter, with multiple POVs. Any and all mistakes from yours truly!
> 
> Enjoy!

"Please... walk away..." Katniss begged her father, insistently pulling him by the arm, with as much force as her small frame allowed. 

Her whimper, as she dug her heels on the ground and minutely shifted her father's stance, away from Peeta, wasn't lost on the vampire, who kept most of his supernatural senses, concentrated on her. It was taking all of his will power, to keep his instinctual response, locked and under control. 

He was all too aware of Katniss growing anxiety, and it killed him that she was going through it... again... for the second time in less than an hour. He truly was a class act with little self restraint. This time, however, Peeta was going to stay his hand- or fangs, rather- even if it was the last he do... he would keep his murderous impulses at bay, regardless of how much satisfaction it would give him to rip mister Everdeen's fucking head off, for all the shit he had done, and continued doing...

 _'Deep breaths, Peeta'_ he told himself, before remembering he didn't really breathe.

For vampires, the act of breathing, was more of a self-soothing  exercise. Granted, they did inhale air that filled their otherwise useless lungs, but, they didn't really need to oxygenate their blood. Vampires bodies, were far less complexed than that of humans, as long as they had a steady supply of healthy blood, (a litter was enough for a full week, per Finnick's explanation) vampires could thrive.

Dr. Latier, another vampire Peeta met through Finnick during his travels, explained the differences between humans and the undead, and to simplify it, he used crabs as illustration. The crustaceans controlled their body movements through a 'hydraulic system',  a substance flows from limb to limb, allowing muscles motion.

Vampires, like crabs, didn't pump blood through their bodies via a beating heart like humans do, on the contrary, their blood supply  shifts around, from place to place, thanks to pressure, like that of the hydrostatic system. But after all that, was said and done, vampires retained a few basic, human functions, like salivating, blinking, even sleeping.

All of those although unnecessary for a being without working body organs, still found the acts useful for their motor skills and full control of their bodies. Breathing allowed the flow of air around their dormant organs, cooling down their blood streams, thus calming them down if they got too over excited.

' _Breathe, Peeta, breathe..._ ' Peeta decided he didn't care about the mechanics of his body functions just then. Breathing would do the trick either way. He had to calm himself down for Katniss' sake, he still had a surprise to give her for her birthday, and he'd be damned if he missed yet another celebration with his girl. 

Unfortunately, especially for mister Everdeen, Peeta's efforts to keep a cool head and dial down his aggression, was for naught. 

It wasn't Peeta's fault, he would have succeeded in his attempt at staying calm... If it wasn't for the human's drunken temper! 

Mister Everdeen refused to listen to his daughter's pleads, with disastrous results. In a surprisingly fast and coordinated move for a man as intoxicated as he was, mr. Everdeen had gotten free from Katniss's grasp, and in a momentarily rage-filled episode, he did the one thing, Peeta would have never expect, nor forgive him for... Mister Everdeen slammed his hand directly on Katniss' chest to push her away from him, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying backwards, across the street.

A loud thud, immediately followed by a pained squeak, was the last thing anyone heard from Katniss; her back and head met with the back door of a house on the opposite side of the street. She was lucky she landed on the  worn, weathered wood, and not the jagged edges of the peeling cinder blocks, sticking out of the wall of the old dwelling. 

At least the wood was flexible enough to give in, with a protesting groan, when the slender back of the girl collided with it.

Mister Everdeen had realized what he'd done half a second before his daughter's shoes lifted from the pavement. He cried her name in horror, "Katniss..." Voice shaking and panicked, he lunge forward with outstretched arms, in hopes to seize her, but it was too little too late, he saw her body cut through space, grey eyes same shade as his, wide, scared, staring back at him in disbelief.

He barely had a chance to register how her face contorted in pain as she finally fell to the ground, when he felt the extremely heavy and beyond painful blow to his back. 

Mr. Everdeen plainly fell face first, onto the hard ground, dragging with him a wild beast attached to the collar of his flannel shirt. 

Miraculously he'd remained conscious, when the weight that had pounced on him from behind, straddle his back, quickly flipping him face up, and then he saw  the monster's terrifying eyes again, black as coal, chilly and unforgiving. Those eyes hunted his nightmares, ever since his affair with Lilian was discovered. He had prayed night and day for weeks, to never see those eyes again, yet, here he was, once more staring into the devil's dead darkness.

Mister Everdeen didn't really have any more time to wallow in his fear, because a fist descended towards his face, swiftly and incredibly accurate. A sickening crunch, came from the spot where the rock-hard knuckles, connected with cheekbone. No doubt there would be a painful fracture left behind... If he survived this pummeling, whis face was surely to be disfigured for good.

In the far recess of his mind, the man reason to himself, _'I probably deserved it, for hurting my sweet Katniss'_ , but the fear induced madness that had led him to this point, wasn't unfounded. The Mellark boy was dead, and in his place was left this despotic tyrant, that would as soon as look at his little girl, and use her, leaving her in disgrace, or worse... Kill her. 

The first signs of an upcoming blackout took hold of Mr. Everdeen. If he was lucky, by the time the monster took his life, he'd been long gone to the blissful realm of unconsciousness. He fel air rush and shift directions, announcing another punch was coming straight down to smash his nose in. There was nothing the man could to brace for it, so he just laid there, waiting for the blow to bring sweet oblivion... Except it never came.

He felt all the weight of his attacker abruptly leave him. His eyes were useless, shut and unseeing. His ears were no better, his blood was rushing in, like tidal waves, sealing all sound out of his skull.

The only reason Mr. Everdeen was fairly sure he was still alive and barely awake, was his broken cheekbone, that hurt like shit. Still, there was absolutely nothing, he could do to help himself off that ground, and run for it.

Slowly, his sense of hearing started to come back, and he begun to perceive sounds again... muffled as they were, they were sounds, which soon turned to voices, and the voices took shape, until they had meaning.

"...told you to stay down, Mellark!" A woman hissed dangerously.

"Get off of me, Johanna, I'm gonna kill 'im!" Screamed the monster in a rage. He sounded like he was straining as he yelled.

"The hell you will, you fucking idiot!" The woman, Johanna, responded angrily. "I did not just suffered two weeks, of your constant bitching and whining, about how unfair it was, that every circumstance, in the effing world, has kept you apart from your fair lady?" Her voice was mocking, but also strained at the end of the sentence. 

"Wasn't it just this morning, you so... _dramatically_ , screamed at the top of your lungs, that you much rather drive a wooden stake deep into your own heart, before EVER, causing your _beloved_ human any pain? Well, in case it hasn't crossed your brainless head, killing the girl's daddy, is smack in the middle, of the definition of _hurting her_!" She sneered. "Think, Mellark! Think! And get a fucking hold of yourself. You already got the poor human man a crater the size of your fist on the face. That should be enough!" 

"The hell it is! The son of a bitch knocked her out... Purposely!" Peeta struggled, grunting and panting, "Get. The. Hell. Off. Of. Meeeee!" With a growl, the sound of heavy bodies shifting filled the air. 

The woman was puffing and huffing as well, as if they were wrestling. Finally, she shrieked. 

"QUIT!"

Followed by a loud "Aaaaaaargh!" From him. Then...

Slam!

Huff!

Thud! 

"STOP IT!" 

"Only, if you promise, to stay the fuck away, from the human!" Retorted the woman through clenched teeth. 

"Fine! Just get the fuck away from me. I won't kill the bastard!" Peeta growled. "Now Johanna!" He hissed, "I give you my word..."

"My pleasure," She said flatly. 

More sounds of shifting bodies. And then a small sound, like a soft groan. Finally the woman spoke again.

"You two! Tall, dark and handsome, and you too... Paunchy, middle age guy, that has seen better days!" There was a derisive snort, coming from the far end of the street. "Help the moronic human back to his house... Or, to a healer... I have no idea what it is humans do, these days to fix themselves up," The woman's laughter rang loudly. 

Mr. Everdeen could hear the distinct sound of foot steps, coming and going in various directions, he wasn't rightly sure what exactly was going on. 

"Peeta, get over here! The cute little thing seems to be coming to!" Said the woman, Johanna. 

Just then, a pair of rough, calloused hands, prodded and poked Mr. Everdeen around his chest, neck, and ribs. He made an involuntary moan. He had no idea his body was in so much pain, but, when your cheekbone was broken and burning, that's not a far fetched thing to happen. 

The stale stench of white liquor, and sweaty, unwashed clothing, filled Mr. Everdeen's nostrils. He knew this combination very well, but his brain was too disoriented to place it. Not until he heard the raspy, annoyed voice of the man that had been ordered to help him home. Haymitch Abernathy.

"'Aight... Nothin' else broken, other than the pretty face," the man chuckled at his own joke, but quickly sobered up. "Come kid, you get them legs, I take the torso." He told his companion. 

"Alright. On the count of three?" The other voice was also familiar, younger and clear, masculine. Mr. Everdeen had way less trouble locating the owner of this voice in his mind. Gale Hawthorne, his and Katniss' hunting partner. 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever..." 

They counted three, and heaved the battered miner up. 

"Her _name_ is, Katniss!" Mr. Everdeen heard the monster snap.

A response from that, Johanna, person, came just out quiet enough, it wasn't discernible. 

"Just... Leave her alone. Stop touching her, will you?" The monster demanded irritably. 

If the man had even an ounce of strength in him, he'd make Haymitch and Gale stop and take Katniss with them instead. As it was, he couldn't even open his eyes. Maybe the vampire had blinded him. He had no choice in the matter, but to lay limply on the other two men's arms and hope Katniss was safe. 

Haymitch panted, huffed and groaned, whining about how heavy Mr. Everdeen was, every other step. Gale stayed quiet for the most part, but if the beaten man knew his hunting partner, he was sure Gale was rolling his eyes irritably at Haymitch.

The going was slow and jerky, uneven steps and a lot of swearing form the town's drunk, until someone called.

"Haymitch, wait up!" 

"Lucca? What the hell you doing here?" Asked Haymitch between labored breaths, trying to keep the pace. 

"Just figure I would help," 

Mr. Everdeen twitched at the sound of the voice. He recognized it immediately, and the fact that he was offering help... Well, he just prayed Haymitch would turn him down, but, he most have pissed off some mighty power, because the next time Haymitch addressed _Lucca_ , he sounded relieved, and ready to take on te offer. 

"And why would you wanna help, Samuel here?" He said shaking his load a bit. 

"Well, my son did that to him, the least I can do is lend a hand." Said Lucca Mellark firmly, no giving any room for a denial. 

"A'ight. If you can't be persuaded otherwise..." Mumbled Haymitch jostling his heavy cargo a bit, causing Sam Everdeen to groan quietly.

Gale pressed his lips into a straight line, he didn't see any of this ending well, and if he knew Catnip at, he was sure she'd be completely crossed if any of this caused _any_ more trouble, but ultimately said nothing, may as it be, anyone watching the interaction realized, Haymitch wasn't really gonna pass up the help; Mr. Everdeen wasn't a terribly big man, but he was a miner, what he lacked in hight and girth he had plenty on lean muscle, and muscle gets very heavy after a while. 

Soon, all parties were on the move, the three men with unconscious miner, and the vampires with the unconscious girl. All headed the same way: to the Everdeen residence. 

 

 

Lilian Everdeen had her arms deep in soapy water, washing the dishes, pots and pans, that had been accumulating in her sink for the last few days. It wasn't that her family was in custom to just let their dirty kitchenware pile up, but Katniss couldn't be bothered to wash them, and both Lilian and her husband had been busy working outside the home, just to make ends meet.

She wasn't unhappy or ungrateful with her lot. In fact, she loved her life for the most part, she got to tend patients, and brew poultices and remedies, effective enough, that people kept buying them. She was content. But sometimes she resented her step-daughter for not helping more around the house. Granted, Katniss was great with Primrose, who was a handful at times, such a curious, vivacious little child Prim was, but... would it killed Katniss to wash the dishes every now and then? Would it be so much to ask, the girl to do her own laundry, instead of paying her friend Mrs. Hawthorne to do it for her? That could be coin she could be contributing to the upkeep of the house, but then again, those days, Katniss was pretty much the one keeping food on the table and foraging for ingredients, which on the long run, meant coin as well.

As the woman, scrubbed the pot with renewed annoyance at the thought of the girl, she decided to look up, to clear her mind, and calmed her mounting discontent.

Then she saw them.

Lilian ran out of her house, wiping her hands on her apron, as soon as she saw the men hauling in an injured person. She recognized the man by his garb, but also, she'd known his frame anywhere and in any shape he looked. 

"What happened?" She exhaled reaching the men, smoothing her delicate hand over his face. 

"The leech happened..." Muttered Gale, wheezing slightly, immediately widening his eyes, turning his sight to the baker who brought the rear, both arms wrapped around Everdeen's armpits. "Sorry... I-I didn't mean to offend... It just slipped..." 

"It's alright son," Mr. Mellark mouthed, since Lilian had chosen that moment to start screaming outragedly. 

"WHAT? But... The monster is gone... I-Him... I thought, this was from bar fight or something, Sam has been celebrating that Katniss will soon be free of her obligation to the..." 

"Lilian... You calm down now, woman. Don't you go saying shit you shouldn't," Warned Haymitch laboriously still under the dead weight of the other man.

Lilian looked at them properly for the very first time, since she realized her husband was injured. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of a very flushed Mr. Mellark, who tried to wipe away some sweat off his forehead with his wrist, as he propped his cargo o his knee. 

"Your monster of a son did this!" She accused, her index finger pointing right at the baker's face. 

To his credit, Lucca Mellark didn't even flinch, in fact he lifted his chin at her, daring her to continue spewing venom. She obliged.

"That son of yours is an abomination! How dared him do this to a good man?" She hissed at the baker, who for the first time in his life, only had ice in his eyes while looking directly at her.

"Given the circumstances, I believe Samuel got his right deserves. You can say what will about my son, call him a leech," he nodded at Gale who looked away biting his lip uncomfortably, "You can call him an abomination, you can disagree with him. But in this case, your _good man_ asked for it, and my son did a damn well job, at staying his hand, for as long as he did!" 

Offended, the woman took a step back, and her cheeks reddened with angered, "How dare... Of course you will side with him! If he ever dares come near  my husband, then I'll... I'll..." She flounder about for a word to complete her very empty threat. 

Mr. Mellark simply arched his eyebrow, watching her wring her hands on her apron in angry frustration.

"Yeah... you _will_ , darlin'... How 'bout _you will_ open the damned door for us to put Sammy inside? He ain't a bag of feathers you know!" Cut Haymitch sarcastically, with a blazing glare. 

Lilian turned around with a choking back a sob, and jogged back to the house, opening the doors wide. 

"Put him on the couch," she order more composed, as she rutted around for some herbs and clean strips of gauze cloth. 

With similar grunts, the three men lowered the fourth one onto the faded couch, and straighten up cracking their backs into place. 

Gale recuperated faster then the other two, so he approached, "Ma'am, for what it's worth... You'd be better off, keeping things civil between you and the Mellarks for now on." He whispered standing real close to the woman. 

She spared him a glare, lips pressed together into a thin line, she was about to retort bitingly, when someone start rapping rapidly on the front door. 

"For crying out loud!" She sighed under her breath, stomping to yank open the door. She froze. Before her, stood Peeta with an unconscious Katniss, hanging on his arms like a limp, little girl. 

Lilian was petrified with fear, and the longer it took her to react, the less control Peeta had over his emotions. 

"Move out of the way!" He finally yelled, forcing his way inside the house. 

Johanna, who had followed him there, hovered around the porch, not having been invited in herself, she couldn't very well trespass the threshold of the human dwelling. 

"I'll wait here," she chirped brightly, as her fellow vampire made his way deeper into the house. 

Peeta half turned his face to Johanna and nodded, "You can go on to the manor. I'll be there soon." 

"Whatever you say Loverboy!" 

Lilian's eyes grew to the point of pain, as she saw the vampire walk in her living room, finally snapping to reality.

"Wait... You-you-you can't come in! You are not invited!" She stammered weakly. 

"Obviously I am... Now, go fix that traitor husband of yours, so you can make sure my bride is alright!" Peeta snapped at Mrs. Everdeen. 

Her eyes followed him as he walked deeper into house, helplessly. She finally moved from the door, and took a few steps to look at her husban stiffly. 

Peeta made a beeline for where he knew Katniss' bedroom stood. He hesitated a moment, and turned to look at the rest of the people in the house. 

"Where is the little one? I know the girls share a room, and I don't want to scare her." He said softening his features as he spoke. 

Lilian's eyes grew in alarm, a fear older than time twisting I her chest. "She-she's not here. She's with... Friends," she looked nervously at him, as he nodded and turned back to go into the bedroom, then she spoke up again, shaking a leaf, "You can't have either of my daughters, not Katniss and certainly not Prim..." Her lip quivered and her knees trembled. 

Peeta turned his cold blue eyes at her, his face a blank mask, but when he spoke, she almost fell on her bottom.

"Ma'am, I suggest you go fix your husband now. Tonight, might be the last night, my beautiful Katniss sleeps under her father's roof. Don't let either of them miss it, because, make no mistake, I'm not the irrational monster you paint me out to be, but I will be coming back to collect her, take her back to my manor, as my wife. Be prepared, I'm done waiting," 

 

* * *

 

_It's cold._

_Very cold._

_I exhale my breath, and watch the steam rise up in lazy rivulets, until it's lost into the fog that surrounds me._

_I'm not sure where I am. I think I might be lost in the woods, because all I can see around me is dead brown grass, naked trees, gray skies, weakly illuminated by the pale rays of a mid winter sun, and suddenly a raven crows in the distance._

_I have no recollection of how I got to this place._

_I risk a step forward, straining for a familiar tree, rock or even path, to would lead me back. Except, I don't know where back is either._

_I recognize nothing, and I'm starting to get uneasy about this whole thing. I've never felt as alone and lost in my life, and I don't like it._

_I start to walk more briskly, in hopes to reach a friendlier part of the woods, but, I can feel my uneasiness grow and mutate deep in my chest and mind. If I don't get out here soon, I'll fall into they forgiving clutches of fear, and then we're will be?_

_The crows start to sound closer and closer, making the forest feel creepy. Before I know it, I'm jogging, leaping and weaving around trees, without a sense of direction, there's no knowing where is here, and I feel panic rising. Suddenly a black cloud of birds swoop down, calling, crying._

_I'm flat out running now, my breath coming ragged and steamy, I make an involuntary noise at the back of my throat, the flock of birds seems to be chasing me. They move like a wave, up and down and from side to side, but always above my head. I think I'm sobbing. I'm so scared._

_And then... I loose my footing. I braced myself for an impact that never came. Instead, a big body flew down from my left, catching me in mid air, strong arms enveloped me, and tucked me into a warm, solid chest. We rolled on the ground, until we stop tumbling. I'm still breathing hard, and then I hear the male, deep voice say:_

_"I got you. You're safe now."_

I come to with a start, desperately gasping for air.

It takes me a quick second to realize, I'm tucked in on my own bed, back home; my breathing levels down, as the familiar environment becomes more clear.

The room is dark, except for small candle across the room, on top of my dresser, but the tiny flame is weak and flickering, about to go out. 

 _God! My chest hurts_... But not as bad as my head. I'm also very thirsty. I'm too thirsty to remain in bed, so gingerly, I try to sit up. The rest of my body also hurts, so a frustrated grunt escapes me. The thirst wins out a second later though. I'm in the process of throwing my legs over the edge of the bed, when the door to my room eases open and a head full of blond curls pokes in. 

"Katniss, you're awake!" Says Peeta smiling widely at me. It's strange to me, that the difference of the length of his fangs is not very noticeable to the naked eye, but I can still see the disruption. I can still remember when he had a perfectly even row of white teeth, back when he was alive, but now there is a slight dip on his smile. Either way, seeing him here, has made me forget that unsettling dream I just had. 

My heart accelerates in my chest, and there's a sensation of fluttering in my stomach. I was afraid I had dreamed him earlier, but now that I see him, I have no idea of what to do with myself.

"Peeta! You're here," My voice is raw and shaky, and for some inexplicable reason I burst up crying. 

Peeta's by my side in two strides. He lowered himself on my mattress, and I lose no time climbing on his lap, his arms go around my body and I'm completely cocooned in his bigger frame. His chin rests on top of my head, while one of his hands start finger-combing my lose hair. He rocks us both until my crying subsides, and then he kisses my forehead, cupping my cheek, to look into my eyes.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, concern pinching his forehead.

"I ache all over," I sigh, my voice is still tremulous and a tear slides down my cheek, that he quickly wipes away with the pad of his thumb.

"Mmm... That's no good," He makes a face, disappointment barely hidden in his voice, "We will have to push back our marriage a few days. I can't have my bride be in pain on her  special day," 

I look at him in mild surprise. "Were you serious about the wedding?" I ask in disbelief. 

He laughs, full and loud. I like the sound of it, oh so very much!

"Of course I was serious! It's possibly the only driving my actions, since I felt ready to return!" 

"Alright. Fair enough... But, tomorrow? Isn't that a tad premature?" I ask dubiously.

His smile turns into a grimace just for a moment, and he casts his eyes down. I touch his cheek as softly as I can, and looks back at me, smiling sheepishly. 

"Originally, my idea was to come to your house, with presents and a picnic basket full of food and wine." He brushes a lock of hair behind my ear, "I had this long, romantic poem written for you. My proposal would've been delivered, under that old willow tree, by the lakeshore. I was gonna drop on one knee, and present you with this..."

He shuffles me farther away from him on his lap, then struggles to pull something out of his coat pocket. He grunts in annoyance, until he's yanked a small white box from his pocket, and with a half smile, he holds it out to me. 

I look at the box on the center of his hand for a full minute, before my eyes cut sharply back to his, then I must spend the next minute or so going back and forth between watching the box and looking at him. 

"Please take it," he whispers. 

I do as told, and slowly reach for the gift. I still look back at him once more, just to confirm this is what he wants me to do, and then open the box slowly. 

Nestled in between crushed velvet, it's a white gold ring, with a perfect iridescent pearl on top, flanked by what I surmise are two tiny diamonds. 

I'm speechless. I look at him, and he's smiling broadly at me. I'm at a loss for... Anything! I can't even begin to think of what to do next. Do I thank him? Do I wear the ring? Do I refuse it? I stare at the box helplessly for a moment, and then my sluggish brain, decides to show up, embarrassing me.

"I-I've never had jewelry before..." I'm in awe, my eyes still riveted to the tiny ring. 

Peeta finally takes it from me, and I let my hand fall limply to my lap. He pulls the ring out of its cushion, and takes my left hand in his. With a solemn expression on his face, he tells me.

"If you accept to wear my ring, it would mean, that you also accept my marriage proposal," his voice is earnest, and his blue eyes pleading, "Would you, Katniss Everdeen, accept this ring as token of my love, and promises to always honor and protect you, for the rest of our existence?" 

"Yes!" I don't even hesitate. What would be the point to think about it further? I already said yes once, and I haven't changed my mind, so... 

Peeta smiles widely, and slides the ring into my fourth, left finger. 

"You're the most important thing in my entire _afterlife_. I need you to know, and believe that." He tells me softly, staring deep into my eyes.

I smile and nod readily, because I do know, and I do believe him. 

"Good!" He says and gives me a sweet peck on the lips, "Now, go back to sleep... You have to get better as fast as you can, so you are in tip-top form for our wedding day..." He stops for a moment, and I can see a hint of nervousness in his demeanor. "You need all your strength for the wedding night." He says quietly, shifting his gaze around the room, I think in embarrassment. 

I know I'm blushing, but I can't help the small giggle that escapes me. He cuts his eyes back at me, and watches me curiously. 

"What's so funny?" 

I smile at him, I _really_ hope it came across coyly. "Nothing it's actually funny," I say, circling his broad shoulders with my arms, my left hand stays visible, draped over his clavicle, while my right one goes to the base of his nape, to twirl my fingers on his hair there. 

"We are officially engaged now, you know. We don't have to strictly wait for our wedding night, to get _acquainted_ with each other..." To my own surprise, I'm purring all this into his ear, I never thought it'll feel this natural to flirt this way with him, "I've been curious for too long. I kind of want to... You know..."

"No!" He says firmly, "Not until the wedding!" He tries to pry my hands from him, but I can see the hesitation in the way his mouth puckers. 

"Peeta... whether you participate or not, I want an orgasm tonight. You can either stay and help with it, or I will take matters into my own hands..." I flicker my left hand fingers I front of his face, before bringing then to skip down my chest and breasts. 

His eyes follow my digits with interest, and I see the changes in his face. The way his features darken with desire, the way his shoulders seem to square off tensely, the way his grip on my waist tightens to the brink of pain. 

"Your choice," I say sliding from his lap, and sitting back on my bed. I lean in a semi sitting position against my headboard, and allow my fingers lightly skim over my body. 

"This little stunt is gonna cost you," He tells me before diving on top of me, to ravish my mouth.

 

 TBC...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me soooo long to post this one. To be honest, I didn't edit much of this chapter, so... I'm sorry for inconsistencies and any glaring errors. I was in a hurry to go fetch my son from school, seeing as the state governor decided it would be safer to release all schools earlier today for the incoming bad weather. I normally don't even have time to get close to my computer, when my kid is out of school, so, it was either post this now as is, or on Monday. I figured you'd like it now!
> 
> I do apologize for any mistakes. Please forgive them. I will try and go over the chapter once sometime later on, just to fix details. But, other than that, I won't do much to it. 
> 
> I know I promised some steam for this chapter, and originally there was a whole scene written of them getting "acquainted with each other" but, it was becoming too long and out of hand for this chapter, so, I divided it into two, which means, the next chapter is nearly completely written, just needs edits and whatnots, but I'm warning you, I won't publish it until I get my other fic "A Pixie for the Mellark Children" updated. That one is not as popular as this one, but, it's very close to my heart. So, please go read it if you have the chance. 
> 
> So, please stay warm. Stay safe. Read and comment, and hope to catch you later!!! Have a great weekend.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not Betaread! Mistakes are all mine!
> 
> Alternating POVs throughout the chapter. (Very new format to me, hope it's alright, and not too confusing)

When I was little and life was simpler, Papa used to tell me stories he called 'of character forming'; they were usually inspirational tales about fictitious characters overcoming obstacles, for example, a small child conquering his fears, or anyone reaching their dreams by working hard and being smart about their choices. 

Back then, I used to listen wholeheartedly, wide eyed and very star struck. I used to eat up all of Papa's words, like they were gospel. Of course, Papa stopped living what he preached when he met Lilian, but that's part of his burden to bear, not mine.

Still, just because my father forgot to listen to his own stories of virtue and fairness and bravery, doesn't mean I have to stop believing in the principles he intended to teach me. 

I decided long ago, that I would make my own set of morals to guide myself by. I still believe in hard work, and selflessness, but I've discovered that goodness has many faces, and nobody should ever be judged by their outward facade. What on the outside appears to be a monster, might hide an angel in need on the inside.

I choose to see beyond the exterior, trying to help those who need it, instead of condemning someone for being hard to understand. 

I will mantain my own rules, and if someone comes along, who improve upon them, then I'll fused them with that person. I will be faithful to my guidelines, but at the same time, if there ever is reason to bend the rules, I won't oppose to it... Like right now for example, I know what I want, and I know where to get it; I'm not the type to covet or to even greed after something, but this will be the one instance in which I seriously do t care if I'm being selfish, because I think I've earned the right to be selfish for a night.

 _"This little stunt will cost you!"_  His deep, dark voice tells me right before he pounces on me. The flash of lust and hunger in his blue eyes is incredibly intimidating, still, my thighs fall wide open in invitation for him. 

To my disappointment, he doesn't fall between my welcoming legs, but lays on his stomach, alongside my body. His big, strong hand grabs my face and tilts it up, bringing my lips to his, for a passionate kiss. 

I feel myself grow warm and restless, I want to touch him and him to touch me. I want him between my legs, I want him to make me his already, and judging by the way he's devouring my mouth, he's eager to claim as well.

He nips at my lips, pulls them between his; he sucks on them, and then, he licks his way inside my mouth, and caresses my tongue with his. I've never experienced such a thing in my life! Kissing Peeta is like drowning, and breathing at the same time. It's like drinking too much wine, but not getting drunk enough. 

I take his hand, the one he's holding my face in place with, he won't need it for that, my face is not going anywhere; instead, I bring it down to my chest, and place it on my breast. He squeezes it, causing me to moan and arch my back inviting him to get his fill. 

One of my hands is tangled up in his hair, my other one leaves his hand to squeeze and knead my breast, while I try to unbutton my blouse. It's tricky, going one handed, but soon, my shirt is falling from my torso unimpeded.

Once again, I take Peeta's hand in mine, this time sliding it snuggly under my brassiere. The skin to skin contact sends me down a spiral; I can't help whimpering his name breathlessly, once his fingers pinch my nipple lightly.

Sudenly, Peeta leaps out if bed, landing at the far corner of my bedroom. The sudden loss of his body heat rubbing against mine, makes me shiver. 

I look at him in confusion. I'm not sure what happened this time to make him flee from me. His mouth- and very sharp fangs- were preoccupied with my mouth, and no where near my neck... I doubt I was in danger of being bitten, but that's not something I'm willing to bet on, it certainly is a possibility with him. I quirk an eyebrow, and speak as steady, and non-threatening as I can.

"Peeta, what's wrong?" 

"I..." He looks terrified for some reason, "I-I don't... I'm not sure..." He covers his face with both hands, and takes a moment. 

"Peeta?" 

"No... I can't do this!" He digs the heels of his hands into his eyes and rubs them, "I-I can't... Not right now. Not here." He's pulling on his hair now. Roughly. 

I frown. He stretches his arms up against the walls, his nails digging into the sheetrock, panting for air I know he doesn't breathe, the sheer panic rolling of his body has me panicking as well. 

"Peeta?" I try to sit up, but end up groaning in pain, every bruised muscle in my body protesting.

Peeta's by my side smoothing caring hands all over my face, shoulders and arms, his own fear forgotten at the sound of my discomfort. He studies me carefully, searching for the source of my pain, coming up empty. 

"Where does it hurt?" He finally asks in a tone I can only describe as _paternal_. I've never heard him use it before. It's like he's talking to a child... I decide I hate it!

"I'm fine!" I snap, trying to jerk myself out of his hands but the motion only aggravates the throbbing in my head. I cringe and groan, causing him to take ahold of me more firmly. "Ugh! I don't need you to baby me. I need you to fuck me!" I whine, complete  undermining my own statement. 

Peeta looks at me aprehendedly and a bit shocked, presumably by my choice of words. His eyes are full of concern, and there's a crease forming in his forehead.

Somehow, he looks older when he's worried. I catch myself admiring his preoccupied face, I can't decide if an older looking Peeta is more alluring than his normal self or not... _Would've I still find him fascinating if he had had the chance to aged like a regular man?._ No point _c_ ontemplating an answer for that one. It doesn't matter, he won't grow old, but _I will._

The thought gives me pause. I feel like I've just been punched in the stomach suddenly.

It's true that I'm old enough to decide for myself _who_ and _what_ I want, and it's still true, that I'm still younger than when Peeta was murdered, but, I will keep on aging while he stays eternally twenty one. The thought makes my mood sour. 

"Look, I know you're hurting all over, I know you're frustrated, believe me... I am too! But, this isn't the place where I want us to be together for our first time," He sounds reasonable, but right now, I don't want reasonable, so I cut him off.

"It's my bed! What's wrong with my bed? Why won't you... do it here, in my bedroom?" I ask irritably, taking offense and crossing my arms over my chest as best I can under my beaten up condition. 

Peeta sighs, and kisses my temple.

I truly hate the condescension!

"It's not about your bed, honey. It's about doing things right. I want you to be my wife legally, before I bed you, and I want _that_ to happen in our own house, in a bed that's just for the two of us... not under your father's roof on the bed you've slept in since you were a child, this bed is to stay untouched, but I also don't want us to sleep on a bed that has been marred by previous encounters either..."

I cut him off again, with a smart remark, "So what? Are you getting all new furniture? Because I'm aware of the romps that went on in that manor, mister!" I shove a finger into his chest to punctuate the word. "I know all about the dinning room table where you feasted on pussy, or the settee in the library, where girls took turns riding you, and lest we forget that infamous chest of drawers... I've been told the wall behind it has the ugliest scrapes, for how hard you like to take your... _women,_ there!" I've manage to surprise myself with the amount of jealous vitriol I just spat at him. 

His eyes are so wide and round at my accusations, it would be comical if I wasn't feeling so miserable right now, trying to hold in the barrage of tears burning the backs of my eyes, making my chest constrict painfully. 

"H-how would you know that?" He asks incredulosly, I see a faint pink rise to the top of his ears. I've embarrassed him, it seems. 

"I've made friends!" I snap. "But it doesn't matter how I know. What matters is that I do know, and that you are not denying it," I say as a wayward tear slinks down my cheek. 

I'm angry at myself. I shouldn't be talking about this right now, I shouldn't care so much about him having all that sex with those girls. It's in the past now, but the truth is, that he's been gone so long, and for all I know he could've spent all his time away, having sex with a plethora of other women while I was here alone... Didn't he said it himself? Vampires need sex? So it's not far fetched to suspect as much.

Just thinking about it, makes me sob. The more I sob, the more my head aches, and the more my pain intensifies, the harder I cry because I can't stand the pressure. It turns into a vicious cycle of sorts. 

"Katniss, shsss..." He pulls me onto his lap. "Don't cry, sweetheart. It'll be alright. I swear it will be," he mutters against my hair, rocking me back and forth while I curl against his chest. "I did get all brand new furnishings, if it'll make any difference to you." He offers, "But not for Snow's manor. I don't ever want you to step foot in that creepy place."

He presses kisses to my temple, but my curiosity has gotten the best of me, so my bout of sobs slows to a halt. 

I peer up at him, "What do you mean?" I ask him hiccups, "If not in Snow's mansion, then where?" 

"For now, the apartment above the bakery, while they build our new home. I'm tearing down Snow's place, and using the grounds for a new school, and I have a patch of land in the woods, closer to here," he chances a timid smile. 

"Is that yours?" I say sitting up on his lap, my anger fading away as excitement bubbles up. 

I've seen the crew of working men, clearing a patch of land somewhere out in the woods. In reality, I stumbled upon it on accident, since it's not close to my usual hunting spots. Last time I saw it, they were making paths. I didn't think much of it at the time, since people go hiking out in the wilderness for fun, I thought maybe the Mayor had finally decided to make official paths for the denizens, but now that I think about it, it'd make close to no sense to pick such a remote location for a hiking trail.

Peeta nods, "The place is nearly finished by now. It's been under construction for a while. The builders were sworn to secrecy." He says arching an eyebrow. "I was afraid you would be lured to the site, by the noise of building."

"Oh... No. It was more like, I wandered right into it a while back. But no one in town knows."

"Good." He sighs in relief. 

Something nags in the back of my mind, "Hmm, Peeta? You don't want to do anything here, but what about the bakery? How is the apartment any different than here?"

"As I said, I won't... _Deflower_ you under your father's roof, it's not proper, and it's disrespectful to your folks." He says wrinkling his nose.

"Uh... Bakery?" I say pointing out the absurdity and flaws of his logic. 

"My father hasn't live in the apartment for a while. He has his own little hut behind the bakery..." Here, he looks sheepish, and very guilty, "I... Kind of told him to move out, while I renovated the apartment above?" It's not truly a question, although it sounds like one, he looks like a naughty little boy, that has been caught sneaking coins off his mother's purse.

"Peeta!" I chide him.

"He's moving right back in after we return the apartment to him!" He hurries to say.

I cover my face with my hands, and groan in embarrassment.

I peek an eye out under my pinky, "You've been talking to your father all this time, and he didn't say anything?"

"I really haven't been talking to him. Not directly. I sent him a note with the carpenter that went to measure the bedroom for the new bed. I had no control over his complying with my request." He still looks sheepish.

"I can't believe you!"

He grimaces.

"Mmm, Katniss? I was just thinking. The house in the woods is almost ready, they told me earlier today, it should only take another week or so, and they'll be done... I was thinking... We could wait until then to marry. After all, I wouldn't force you to have your wedding night while you're hurting all over... Plus, I know that even with your father's displeasure and disapproval, you've want him there..." He trails off, his offering hanging in the air, I'm too stunned to answer, but he simply fills the silence with one last thought, "I'm sorry I beat your father within an inch of his life... He hurt you, and I lost it. I swear nobody will ever touch you like that again." 

Tears prickle my eyes anew. I accept his apology with a nod. He will have to apologize to Papa himself, later on; and although I don't expect Papa would ever approve, or even participate in my wedding to Peeta, he's right... I do want my father to be able to physically come see me join my life with the man I love. 

"Thank you, Peeta..." I murmur leaning into him. "I love you," I kiss his neck sweetly, and bury my nose on his clavicle. 

His arms circle me tighter, "I love you too, Katniss."  

 

* * *

  _ **Peeta's POV**_

 

Katniss falls asleep on my chest, and I feel the movement again.

I'm still not sure what to make of this feeling, nor can I even begin to guess what's causing it, but it feels oddly familiar, and wholly terrifying. 

If I was alive, I would swear with certainty, I was having palpitations, the ones that lead to a heart attack, but I'm not alive. I'm a fucking vampire, and what used to be my heart, the valiant organ, useful muscle pumping life throughout my body, is now a useless, shriveled up mass of dead tissue rattling in my empty chest cavity. 

I haven't felt the sensation of heart beats in so long, the small lurch originating from the spot my heart used to be at, I felt earlier when Katniss' fingers touched my chest, right above my deadened heart, sent me into a panic attack, the likes I've never felt before. It confused me, and excited me, and scared me to the bone, and weird as it might sound, my chest ached unbearably for a whole minute, until the ghost of the movement had faded completely. 

Finnick never mention _this_ , whatever this is!

He talked at length, about the effect being close to a very dear lover could have on us; how it was possible to sync our bodies with their theirs, how when a connection was strong between a vampire and its mate, it was possible to empathize and even feel ghosts of their life force, surging through their veins.

When a vampire had truly bonded with his or her human mate, it was possible to feel their heart beats reverberating through them, mimicking the sensation of a synchronized hear beat... It wasn't real, it just meant the two beings were interconnected enough the vampire could sense the life of his or her partner as if it was their own.

I've experienced that very phenomenon numerous times with Katniss; I can sense her, I can smell her, I can feel her. I can identify the rythmn of her heart even if I can't see her, I can hear how her blood flows strong and free in her veins even in a crowded room, I can feel my lungs hitch with hers every times she takes a breath, even though I have no use for oxygen myself. I haven't decided yet, if this link between us is romantic or plainly creepy, but it's there, and it's real.

The only time I remember what being alive felt like, is when I'm near her, and I get to feel and live vicariously through her. That's how I know, that whatever I felt, when her delicate slim fingers made contact with the place where my heart used to be, is not the same thing. 

The lurching sensation spooked me out of my mind, because I couldn't explain what was happening to me.

It was as if a dormant force woken at her touch, and as soon as there was distance between us, it felt inert once more. 

I felt the strange thump again, right when she told me she loved me. Then once more when her cheek nuzzled the spot on my chest. 

I don't know what it is, and it took all my strength, to will myself to stay put while she sat atop my lap, when all I wanted to do was put distance between the two of us.

The movement is almost unbearably painful, and it feels like I've just been burned at the very end. I need to learn what this is, and how to stop it from happening again, because I don't think I can brave the feeling for the rest of Katniss' mortal life, and I plan to stick with her until then. It won't do, for me to coward away if this thing happens again in a moment of vulnerability. 

Until then... I will try my best. For her sake.

 

* * *

 

 

_** Katniss' POV ** _

 

It's been three days since Peeta's arrival and run-in with Papa, and I'm finally able to stand up for more than five minutes without feeling like the earth is tilting sideways under my feet.

Other much welcomed change, is that my concussion is finally letting me keep food down.

I still have a bump the size of an ostrich's egg on the back of my head, but there aren't any real visible bruises to speak of anywhere else.

Lilian has been watching me like a hawk, since I started vomiting half the food I ate. She said it was likely my head causing it. She was very worried about permanent damage from a head injury, but I'm fine now. 

I have to be honest... having Lilian fan over me, showering me with attention and caring for me, felt nice. I never had a mother to do those things for me growing up, and having her doing it now, well... I really liked the illusion of being nursed back to health by a loving mother. 

Prim toddles in and out of my bedroom at all times of the day. She brings me flowers she's picked out in the garden, or sits next to me in the bed and tells me stories. She keeps staring at my hair brush longingly, but after the first time she tried brushing my hair, Lilian banned her from it, since I succumbed to a terrible bout of retching, that made my head throb in pain, making me dizzy. 

Peeta got to meet 'toddler Prim'. He was surprised at how big and different she looks from when he left. But I told him, that would've happen even if he was only gone for a week. Children at that age change in the blink of an eye.

The first time Prim saw Peeta, he was standing stiffly by the head of my bed. She stopped dead on her tracks for a second, looking him up and down, and then, to everyone's astonishment, she rushed to him smiling brightly. She wrapped her chubby arms around his legs with as tightly as she could, and out of the blue squealed "Peeta!" In her little girl voice. 

We were all surprised she knew his name, we were also surprised she wasn't a tad bit scare of him, because most everything and everyone _is_ , without even knowing what he is. But Prim only looked up at him, blue eyes brimming with I can only describe as admiration and a smile so bright it was blinding.

To Lilian's dismay, Prim found her home on Peeta's lap for the rest of the afternoon, and kept hugging and kissing him as if she had known him her whole life... technically, she'd only met him for her first year of life, then he was largely absent, but she didn't seemed to mind or even be aware of that. 

Now, Peeta on the other hand, at first, held the little girl at arm's length and with the outmost care, as if he were to shake her too much, she would combust, or break or something. He was nervous and anxious the whole time they were in my room visiting. But then Prim fell asleep, and curled up next to my body for heat, and finally, Peeta seemed to relax.

After a moment, I noticed the way he looked at Prim laying next me, the devotion I usually found there when he looked at me, was present, but there was also something else there, something more. Longing, or wistfulness, I'm not sure, but it was mixed with tenderness and pinch of sadness. 

It hit me at once. He wanted babies of his own. So badly! 

Normally the thought would make uncomfortable and reticent, but knowing having children is impossible for him, makes my stomach tighten in sadness on his behalf. It endears him to me more, if that's even possible, and I find myself wishing I could give him a whole pack of golden haired, blue eyed little Peetas and Primroses.

Alas, one usually yearns, for that, one cannot have. 

But today, it's a new day! It's bright, sunny, and warm. Peeta promised to come by to take me out for a walk this evening, right before the sun sets. He told me he didn't want to ruin the cheerful day for the rest of town, so he was going to stay hidden at Snow's manor until right before dusk.

To kill time while I wait for dusk, I try and help Lilian in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for a soup. 

"Your father is awake, you know," offers Likian quietly as she scrubs half a dozen potatoes at the sink, under the running water. She isn't looking at me when I lift my eyes to her. 

I shake my head regardless. I really don't want to see Papa. I'm still sore, and I don't mean just physically, but emotionally...  mentally. 

"I'm not sure anything good will come out of me walking in there right now," I tell her truthfully.

"Katniss, he's your father! He made an awful mistake, which he regrets dearly. I'm not saying you should forget it happened, or pretend you didn't suffer from it, but... You can at least make peace with him. It'll do him good. He needs all the positive encouragement he can get, in order to heal faster." Her voice is vehement and very compelling, and I can feel my resolve quaking, but I'm still too wounded and a bit angry at him to completely give in.

"I'll think about it. Right now, I rather avoid a confrontation between us... We're both still too fragil for that," it's as good a response as she's going to get, and my stepmother knows it, so she takes a deep breath.

"Fine. Do as you must, but... please, don't delay too much."

I nod when she looks at me. I will go talk to Papa at some point. Just not today.

 

\---------------------

 

_** Peeta's POV ** _

 

The sky is a very soft orange, with streaks of shocking pink and hint of purple that deepens in color and unfurls swallowing the orange and pink, as the darkness of night inches it's way farther in. 

Katniss lays next to me on the picnic blanket I brought for us, her hair spilt around her head, giving her an ethereal aura.

I move away the picnic basket that sat right above her head, because it lessened the view of my evening goddess, plus, it's not like we need anything from the basket anymore, I've already re-packed the leftovers of our meal, and the truly want an unobstructed view of my forest nymph.

She cracks open, one of her close eyes, and smiles at me, as if she's aware of what I'm doing. 

I can't resist leaning over her, until my lips touch her pink, full ones. She tastes like the fresh strawberries she just devoured. I sigh against her lips. Being able to finally kiss her, after all this time... Is bliss!

I'm about to sit up, but Katniss hand tentatively rises to my head. Her eyes are dreamy, and her smile is faint but sweet and content. Her agile fingers sink into my hair slowly, carding my soft curls tenderly. An expression of adoration reflects on her features, clear as day, and I feel it again... Deep in my chest, the tattoo of my long deceased heart.

I'm sure of it now, it's a beat! or more accurately a series of beats, that her actions have caused. 

The involuntary shift of my heart, physically hurts, probably because there's no blood running through my body to lubricate the movement or hydrate it back to its former shape. 

I hypothesize, this is happening every time I get emotionally excited about a touch, a look, and meaningful word. I suppose it's the normal reaction to a person falling in love... to have a quicker heart beat, to breathe faster and shallower... at least, it's what happens to her when she sees me, or when we kiss: her organs start to accelarate their pace, and her blood warms up... It's all poetry in the inner workings of her body.

I knew I loved her, but now I realized that the act of falling in love with her, is dinamic, and active, and continuous; it evolves, and grows, and never stops. Falling in love is a constant affair, that matures with time and surpasses the concepts of age and location. I love her, yes, but I fall deeper in love with her with every passing minute, and that force, the power of what I feel for her, is not static, it moves, and it moves the fallen parts of me with it. 

I was wrong!

I don't ever want to figure out how to stop this terrible ache in my chest, because that will be the day I stop falling in love with Katniss, and if I stop falling in love with her, it means she's dead, because there would be no other way for me to stop this feeling, all encompassing emotion, the act of loving. 

"I love you, Katniss!" I whisper a hair's breadth of her mouth. "I love you with all I am, with all I was, with all I'll never get to be, I love you. I promise, under this twilight, with the fading sun and the newborn stars as witnesses, that I will love you until your last breath.

"I will follow you to the edge of the world and back, because I'm but your humble servant. You'll always be my number one, and also my last tought at the close of time, you'll be all my in betweens, and all my unexpecteds. 

"I will love you when I'm happy, and also when I'm angry. You'll be my lighthouse in the tempest, and I'll be your shelter in the wild world. I will always be there for you. My coin will be your coin, and your laughter will be my music. I vow to wake you up in the morning before the sun, with fresh cheese buns and hot chocolate, and I expect sweet kisses in return... Will you promise me to always trust me, and confide your secrets, fears and joys to me? If you do... Please say I do!" The last sentence comes out more as a plea.

Katniss gasps, because is now clear to her what I'm doing... I'm reciting my wedding vows to her.

"I do, Peeta... I'd be honored... Of course I do, a million times I do!" Her eyes twinkle in the fading light, there's a small tear peeking at the corner of her eye, but her smile is radiant and loving. 

"Then... Let me kiss my bride... before the night catches us," 

My lips touch her's lightly.

It all starts soft, and tender. Her hand caressing my face, my hand mirroring hers. I'm leaning on my elbow as I kiss her, laying side by side to each other, but in this position, she's too far away from me, so I shift until my torso is covering hers.

I reposition my arm, so I'm balancing on my forearm right above her head, my hand tangles up with her loose hair, and my other hand descends slowly down her neck. The tips of my fingers dance over her clavicle, and she sighs. My tongue is inside her mouth, exploring, tasting, swiping, never hurrying, I will take my time to savor her fully, but my tongue is greedy, and I want to find out how the rest of her skin tastes like.

My fingers take a trail down her shoulder, and I caress her arm up and down soothingly, but she's growing impatient, because when I finally reach for her fingers, she takes a hold of my hand, and plops it on her breast unceremoniously. I smile against her lips, and I can feel her scowl forming, so I squeeze the soft mound, not hard, but firmly, so she stops acting like a brat... there will be time for fucking, hard and fast, but _this_ is _not_ it!

She moans. Of corse she moans! 

The sound goads me. 

My hand leaves her heaving breast, and before she can protest, I'm umbotuttoning her blouse. Her hands come to my aid, when I have to stop kissing her, to see what I'm doing. I try not chuckle, but it's a lost cause. Between the two of us, we have her out of her shirt and out of her bra in no time, and I can never remember being as mesmerized by a pair of tits, like I am at hers right now.

I saw her breast when she was sixteen. They were small, and tender, and cute. The skin was flawless and soft, the nipples dark pink, and puckered. There was a small beauty spot on the inner side of her right breast... I remember licking it with the tip of my tongue, right before I forgot myself and turn mutt on her. I'm happy to say, her breasts haven't changed much since; they seemed to have grown half a cup size, but that's to be expected, they're still as pert and firm as they were at sixteen.

I seat up, eyes riveted to her chest. I think she's enjoying my unabashed staring, because she giggles, and her breasts jiggled a bit. I smile and look at her face. She's smiling too. 

"You like 'em?" Her voice is raspy.

"No..." I frown. After a small pause I affirm, "I love them!" I dive down upon her torso, my mouth finds a nipple, and thumb finds another. 

She arches her back clean off the ground, and moans loudly. My lips release the one breast with a pop, and quickly traps it's twin. I suck on the soft, delicious flesh slowly, and deeply. Again, I'm not going to rush this; but her hands are desperate, clumsily pulling and pushing and clamping on anything she can reach, her back lifts off the blanket repeatedly, over and over, and I think I might be able to get her off just by lavishing her chests! 

I've challenged myself! 

I wont stop working her sweet little tits, until she's shattered in pleasure. 

I pinch her free nipple lightly, roll it in my fingers, and pull on it ever so slightly. I'm sucking faster and less measuredly on the one in my mouth, and I hear the rush of her blood sweeping inside her, like a tidal wave... And then she's screaming, thrashing and fighting for air. I'm victorious!  

I relent on my ministrations, smiling triumphantly, when she claws at my head, trying to push it away from her chest. 

Shes breathing hard, her eyes are tightly shut, her mouth is slack, and there's a time crease on her forehead. 

"Peetaaah..." She breath out with great effort. 

I place both my forearms at each side of her head, to brace my upper body weight on, and slide the rest of my body on top of hers. 

She exhales a breath, and smiles wanly, eyes still closed. "That's more like it!" She rasps under her breath. 

"What was that?" I say amused by her cheekiness.

"You finally gave me what I wanted," she replies opening her eyes slowly, focusing her gaze on me.

"Who says I'm done?" I counter.

"Oh... there's more, then?" She arches her delicate brows, more in challenge than surprise or incredulity. 

"Ooh, baby... I'm just getting start here." I say bringing my brows together, "I hope your folks don't mind you being retained here for another hour... But, I've been dreaming about mating with you for so long... I will take my time. Now, let's get you out of this skirt!" 

Getting out of the rest of our clothes is a blur of shaky hands, nervous giggles and frantic kisses. She sighs and purrs as her fingers explore my flesh, she seems to like my chest as much as I like hers, becase she kisses it and caresses it none stop. She also seems to love my dick, she didn't balk at the sight of it, nor she seemed terrified of its girth, like other girls have. No. She only had this greedy look on her little face, and an growing lust that made her nether region slick and hot in seconds... I've never been so ready to enter a pussy, than then! 

But, I'm going to savor the moment, because I'm a vampire, not a savage! 

I kiss her again, as before, soft and lovingly. My hand sliding deeper and lower, until I find coarse hair. My lips migrate south, to her throat, then to her collarbone, and finally her breasts. My fingers finally come in contact with her labia. Her breath hitches, and there's a low grunt at the back of my throat to match her small noises. She's so incredibly wet!

I push a finger inside her heat. Only the tip, and her body tenses. I retrieve my digit slowly, and try again. This time I go a bit further in, she doesn't tense like before, my her legs kind of flutter up. Sensing she will shut down her legs around my hand, I pin down her thighs with my body weight. 

I move to her ear, to whisper encouragements, softly, as I try to slowly stretch her for what's to come. I offer to stop my pursue, and pick it back up another day, but she shakes her vehemently, claiming this is what she wants, and finally, she relaxes enough, for me to push a second finger inside her.

I pump my hand, in and out, not too slow, and too fast. She's starts keening, and whimpering. So I introduce another finger. Her hips lift to meet my hand. I know time has finally arrived. 

I'm giddy. 

I'm excited. 

My dead heart is thumping like crazy in my chest. I don't give a rats ass, I'm at heaven's gates! The tip of my cock, pulsing angrily against her smooth slit, coating itself in her juices, and I'm finally in position. 

I find her eyes, and we stare at each other under veiled lashes the whole time, I'm sinking inside her tightness. She winces, and I slow down to a crawl. I keep going, because her hands in the small of my back press down, indicating her desired motion. I comply. I sink all the way to the hilt, and she inhales a breath, accompanied by what I believe is a moan. I'm not sure, I was too busy trying not collapse on top of her small frame crushing her under my full weight. 

She feels good! 

Too good!

"Katniss... Please..." I beg her. 

She takes one more minute, to adjust and catch her breath. Then mercifully nods, giving me permission to move. 

I pull out of her, completely, and push right back in. It's not fast like my body is screaming for, but it's not as soft as I originally planed either. 

But then she splays her thighs open under me, and tilts her hips upward. The new angle makes me slide even deeper, one of her legs curls around my thigh, and her slim arms snake under armpits, she's anchoring herself to me. I search her face for an explanation.

"You look like wounded dog, sweetie," she kisses my cheek softly, "You can let go, baby, I'm not gonna break." 

I chuckle, "I love you, so much." I kiss her on the lips tenderly one last time. 

And then, I pound on her like a mad man! 

The feeling is so intense, it's scary. 

I bring my fingers between her legs, I have to make her cum with me, or I'll feel like a failure of a husband. 

Her eyes go wild when I find her clit. I guess she wasn't expecting that. I rub quick tight circles, and she's producing more slickness down there, than I know what to do with it. 

"Oh Peeta!" She cries out. "Oh Peeta!" She repeats. "Oh Peeta, oh Peeta, oh Peeta... Ah!" She arches off the ground, her mouth wide open but her words choked up. I let go as well. 

I can smell the faint coppery aroma of her blood. It's only trace amounts of it, from her maidenhead. But it's enough to bring me to bloodthirsty frenzy. 

I jump on my hunches with superhuman speed, I pry her legs open for me, and I see it... Hair like tendrils of crimson, mixed in with both our fluids; I inhale deeply. My eyes close as I lose myself in the feast before me.

She's panicking, I can feel it the way her heart vaults. I pull her lower body up by the legs, and take a long lick. 

"Mhmmm... Papa is going to feast on your little pussy now!" I suddenly open my eyes, and pin her under my gaze. The way she looks at me, terrified, tells me I must be sight. "Don't worry babe... This is not gonna hurt one bit!" 

 

 

TBC...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of, apologies to all of you who had been waiting for this update... It was long overdue, and although I have very good and legitimate reasons as to why it took so long to post, I will have to go with the short explanation, that I ended having to rewrite 80% of this chapter... Against my will, I have to point out!!!
> 
> Now, I'm excited to inform all of you dear readers, I'm working on a entry for the Everlark fanfic exchange over tumblr, hosted by evarlkficexchange. The prompt I chose, is Downton Abbey crossover :) hope you can catch it when it's posted, sometime after March 21st. I'll bring it here as well, but that won't be until probably April. 
> 
> I'm not going to give an exact date for the next update to any of my WiPs, because I just have too much stuff going on in real life, and my writing has been reduced to stolen minutes here and there... bear with me, and I'm sorry if not being very cooperative... I do love writing for you guys, but right now, I'm trying to be a responsible adult, yadda yadda yadda... Know that you're not forsaken my lovelies! 
> 
> And by the way, shout to all the lovely ladies on International Day of Women! You're all beautiful, amazing and so valuable! Rock on dudettes!!! Also... Happy National Pancake Day! If you haven't already, run to your closest IHOP for a free pancake! I took my son and we had to wait a bit, but we love pancakes so it was cool. 
> 
> Until next time. Hopefully not too long!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed. 
> 
> A bunch of smut, fluff and angstsy conversation.

I'm breathing hard, watching his face lower to my sex, his eyes have gone a strange color, not quite human, and I can see his fangs start to peek from between his lips, he's gone vampire and I start to panic. 

I try to crawl backwards, away from his reach, but he's curled his arms around my knees, and won't let me go, and suddenly he's pulling me back to his eager mouth and murderous looking fangs; I shrike loudly, scared out of my wits, and his eyes fly up to mine, and just like that, my mind blanks out. I drop heavily on my back, as calmed and relaxed as I was before, when I was coming down from my euphoric hight.

I let a breathy sigh escape my mouth, it's like my mind doesn't belong to me anymore; I can't remember what was I so afraid of, until I look down at him again, and I shiver a bit, because I can't believe where his mouth is going, and I can't even start to fathom what is he going to do, once he's there.

I seek his eyes, because something in my muddled brain tells me, that looking directly into them will help forget my apprehension. He's leaving a long, searing kiss on my hipbone, and then rests his chin on my stomach sporting a goofy, self satisfied grin. There's no trace of vampire teeth to be found in that grin, however, his eyes still keep me trapped in place, like I'm hypnotized.

"Peeta..." I breath out.

"I'm going to taste you now. I'm going to taste your arousal, and I'm going to take a _sip_ from _you_ as well. It won't hurt one bit, I swear. If you don't like the sensation, you let me know." He says massaging my thighs, leaving small kisses between them as he lowers himself once more, and I feel my head nodding as soon as his tongue sticks out and touches my core. 

I moan loudly. My my hand goes to my chest in hopes to coax my heart to calm down a bit, but I just feel myself shake and ondulate my lower body, and finally, I feel a small pinching sensation right on the juncture where my thigh starts and meets my center. I'm lost to the feeling of his fingers caressing my pleasure nub, rubbing it from side to side, and whatever else is happening down between my legs.

"Peetaaaah!" I gasp when I've reached the orgasmic point, and I'm only semi conscious of my back rising from the ground and falling back down, boneless.  

I feel his tongue lick me, like a cat does cream, right where I felt the pinch. I wish I could look at him, but my head is too heavy on my shoulders, and I have no strength to lift it up. 

"Peeta?" I call his name weakly, very weakly, and I hear him shuffling around.

With my breath evening out, the feeling of heaviness in my limbs starts to weigh on me, and my mind starts to clear out of the confusing fog I was put into, when I saw his vampire eyes staring into my very soul.

Peeta's body lifts off of my legs and I feel him crawl back up my length. In a moment, he's hovering over me, supporting his body on his elbow sideways. 

"Yes, darling?" He asks softly, brushing some stray hairs from my face. 

I flounder for a moment, with all the returning fears and thoughts I had a moment ago, crowding my head, there is too much I want to say to him. I have somehow explain how what he just did to me felt, and how conflicted I am, about how I'm feeling about it, and about what he did and said right before. It's all so confusing, and I'm overwhelmed with emotions, I just can't sort out, and I have the sinking feeling that he just used his mind controlling ability on me, and I can't tell if I'm afraid, angry or hurt by it... I start crying. Sobbing really. 

"Katniss? What's wrong, Sweeteheart? Why are you crying?" He sounds panicked and concerned now. 

I cry harder because I can't feel my legs, or I actually do feel them, but they're unresponsive, and lay there uselessly, as if they were made of lead. "I'm too weak, Peeta. I can't move! And I'm scared. And you called yourself 'Papa' and I can't think of anything worse for my lover to say, while he's about to literally eat my womanhood out... and you were a vampire for some of it, and I'm sure you drank my blood, and made me comply with your desires by pushing your thoughts into my head..." I'm right out hysterical at this point. 

"Katniss." He scooped me up in his arms, sat my on his lap and rocked me back and forth, while cradling my head to his chest. 

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I swear I didn't push _any_ thoughts into your mind. I only asked you to relax and not think about anything, I guess I should have known better than to completely cleared off your mind. I didn't think about the words I was using. I'm sorry that I made you uncomfortable, I was insensitive and I should've given you time to adjust to mating with me. I should have told you that drinking from you was a possibility. I thought I had more self control, but the truth is... I was completely lost to your intoxicating smells, the force of your blood rushing through your body, so warm, so inviting. I'm a terrible husband," he held my face in his hands, and pulled me away from his chest, so he could look me in the eyes. "From now on, I'll only referred to myself as your husband," he says quietly.

His own eyes, are as sweet and blue as ever, and there was torment and sorrow behind them, because he was truly sorry about everything, so when he asked, in a very thin voice, breaking at the edges, "Will you forgive me? I know you could do better than me, but I love you so much, I've missed you so much, I rather be destroyed by the sun, than lose you... Please... Forgive me,"

My response could only be one.

I lean into his face, and kiss him, soft and tenderly. Tears streaming down both our faces, but it was a cleansing moment for the both of us. I chosed him, and he chosed me, we are a pair, and we are a unit all at the same time. Is up to us to make our lives work together, and if I've learned something during our time apart, is that we will never be happy separated. 

"I forgive you," I whisper in the small space between our faces, as we press our foreheads together. My hand cupping his cheek, "just, don't ever call yourself _Papa_ , when you're between my legs."

He chuckled breathlessly, and kissed my nose. 

My hand slid down his chest, and I was surprised to feel the small beating coming from it. I have thought I dreamt that before, I still think I made it up in my head! I'm so desperate for him to be alive, for him to be able to breathe, and have a normal existence, my brain is making up all this movements under my fingertips. I so wished Peeta could have all he's ever wanted in life, because he never had it easy, but it's cruel of me, to wish there was a real heartbeat under my touch. 

"Amazing, isn't it? fantastic, otherworldly? I can keep going," He offers.

"What?" I ask confusedly, my hand still making small swirling motions over his skin, where his heart should be. 

"The beat," his smile was small and uncertain. I frowned at it, because it couldn't be real. "You feel it too. The beat. I'm not sure how it works, but my heart mimicks your's when we're together." He says placing his hand on top of mine, pressing both to his chest. 

There it was, a heart shudder, strong enough to excite me. 

"Peeta," I gasped in admiration and awe. 

"As I said, I'm not sure how it works. But when we separate, it slows down, and it pains me unbearably. I think, your feelings for me are the key to this anomaly," his smile is sweet. His hand smoothed my hair away from my face, and then he was kissing me again. 

I had no more words to say, and it was alright at the time, because the silence was perfect. 

We made love again. 

This time, he took his time. 

He entered me slowly, caressing my face, neck and shoulders, kissing every inch of skin he could reach, then dedicating an inordinate amount of time to my breasts, kneading them, pinching them, kissing, licking and sucking them. His fingers slid beneath us, and he made me pulse with pleasure all over again. He was grunting his own release, straining to keep his pace slow, but strong and oh, so very deep within me. 

"I need I sip of you... can I have a small drink?" He pleaded in my ear.

"Yes... You can have anything you want," I was completely conscious this time, and although my response was breathy, dreamy, it was also confident.

He kissed my throat, and I thought for sure, that would be the spot I was to feel his sharp teeth sink into my flesh, but it wasn't. 

He left a trail of open mouth kisses down my body, until he got to the apex of my legs, and his head dipped to my womanhood once more, causing another orgasm with his tongue and lips, and then I felt it, right in the place were my leg and girl parts met: the pinching, slightly painful, like being stuck with vaccination needle, but it was gone the next moment, and he was licking the spot avidly, rubbing circles on the sensitive skin of my inner thigh. 

I arched my back, because the feeling of euphoria that followed his 'sip' of me, was as he said: otherworldly. 

"Peeta... That felt..." I try to say, but I'm out of breath.

"So... You liked it?" He sounds a bit anxious.

I'ts silly that he should ask, I was so loud and out of control thrashing under his ministrations, it's impossible for him to still doubt I liked it.

"Are you crazy? That was incredible!" I exclaimed trying to catch my breath.

"Does that mean, you'll let me do it again?" His question comes out shyly, I can see he's holding back his eagerness.

I think about it for a moment. To be honest, the whole thing about him taking a drink of my blood, is unnerving, once the fog of lust and pleasure has lifted. Plus I know he never did that to any of the other girls, he never fed from them, and whatever this was, it can't be completely healthy for me. Living creatures need their blood to stay alive. 

"Katniss?" Peeta calls my name worriedly. "Please, sweetheart. If you aren't comfortable with it... It won't ever happen again, I swear. Just, please talk to me," his eyes seem to be filling up with tears. 

"I'm not sure, Peeta. It felt good when you did it, but... Is it safe for me? Will it sustain you, just to draw so little food from me?" 

"It is enough!" He says eagerly, "I would never harm you. I learned to control my intakes of feed, so the mortal life is preserved. And if I only take a drink, every other coupling, it'll be alright for the both of us. You have no idea how filling your... Um... _You_ are, when you're in the middle of your release," his eyes search mine intently for a long while, holding on to my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. 

"Alright," I say quietly after moment. "We can try it again, but you have to give me heads up first, and you have to promise me, you won't interfere with my consiousness, when I'm deciding if it's okay to let you drink from me," my eyes stay firm on his, my demand spoken aloud. 

"Yes! Anything you say, sweetheart!" He sits up, and grabs my face none too gently. The kiss he gives me is urgent, hungry and pleading, "So, you'll allow it?" The words drop from his lips, pressed against my own.

"I'll allow it," I sigh into his mouth, right before he devours it. 

"Good. Because now that I've tasted you, I don't think I can stop craving you." His voice is deep, dark and husky. I feel his fingers slowly curling my coarse, pubic hair, messy with the excess of our spent juices, right before they slip inside of my very wet pussy. 

I giggle, "Again?" I question him, when his lips latch on to my neck. 

"Again!" He grunts exuberantly into the skin of my throat, bringing his hands to caress my hips. "Last time tonight, though. I need to bring to your father's home so you can stay with your family for the rest of the week, until our public wedding!"

Suddenly, he's hovering above my body once more, claiming me for the third- fourth, fifth?- time tonight, I'm not sure, all I know is that tomorrow I won't be able to walk straight without wincing... I can already feel it in my muscles.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Peeta took me home, as he promised. I was glad, that Lilian wasn't awake waiting for my return, because I smell strongly of sex and Peeta's seed, which is still seeping out of me in an embarrassingly steady flow.

I'm not quite sure, what used is ejaculation of actual sperm, to a vampire that can't procreate anyway, but I won't question it. I'm a bit curious about our fluids. Every time he filled me with his cum, he'd insisted on licking me clean, but we did it so many times, and I could tell his release was always a sizable amount, I'm still dripping with it. I wonder if we truly taste as good together as he claimed; I can't bring myself to actually go through with all thoughts crowding my head, about gathering our orgasms in my fingers and tasting for myself.

I'll ask him to show me, from his fingers next time we're together.

I decide to bathe, not because I want to wash my lover away from my skin, but because the amount of juices spilling from me, are starting to feel uncomfortable. I'm sticky everywhere, and I'm starting to chafe with every step I take.

Oddly, while I'm sitting in the warm water, and my fingers touch the slimy secretions left behind inside of my body, I feel aroused. 

I try and remember every detail of what we did tonight, how he felt inside of me, how we moved together, how his spilled pleasure felt in me, sliding down my legs, they way he used my hips to anchor himself to me, the way the muscles of his arms, shoulders and back felt under my exploring fingers. The way his manhood looked... I wish I had touched him there more, I decide I will, next time we are together, I will also put him in my mouth, so he's claimed every crevice of my body with his cock. 

I leave the bathroom, and sneak into my bedroom quietly. 

I should be surprised to find him on my bed, but I'm not. It looks like the most natural thing, Peeta laying across my bed, fully dressed, arms crossed under his head, and legs crossed length wise, with his booted feet sticking out the corner of my mattress. 

I let go of the towel around my body, and use it instead to dry my hair. I'm completely naked before Peeta's amused blue eyes, that drink me like I'm a tall glass of refreshing water. I can't find it in me to be ashamed of my nakedness in front of the man that has possessed my body multiple times, just a few hours ago, so I take my time deciding on night clothes, before I settled for a long, flannel button up, and forgo any under things... if I'm lucky, he will sneak his hands under my flannel, and there's no sense on wasting clean undergarments, if he's going to ruin them a few minutes after I've put them on. 

"Hello beautiful," He smiles up at me, extending an arm in invitation; once I'm done braiding my wet hair, I plop down on the bed, into his open arm. 

Its amazing how perfectly, we seem to fit together, snuggled up to each other.

I kiss him on the lips quickly, "Hi, handsome. Will you stay the night?" 

He nods, and we only take a minute to find comfortable positions under the blanket. His arm stays chastely around my shoulders and down my back. I know on instinct, he won't try anything further tonight, and I find that I am alright with it. Sex should never be the central part of any relationship. 

I have no idea how long we've been laying there for, I was almost asleep when his hand started strumming along my arm softly, and his deep whisper broke the silence.

"Primrose is such a beautiful little girl. She's grown so much, I can't even believe it,"

"Yeah. She's adorable isn't she?" I concur sleepily.

I'm drifting off again, when he sighs deeply, and brushes a kiss to my forehead.

"She's a happy toddler, isn't she? She's smart, and sweet... she's got all this vibrant life energy surging through her... you and your folks have done an amazing job raising her," his voice is wistful, and I lift my eyes up to his face to see a longing smile curl his lips. 

I prop my chin on the middle of his solid chest for a moment, and we stay quiet and still, basking in our closeness for a few minutes, staring into each other's eyes.

Suddenly, he shifts our position, so his cheek is laid all the way down above my tummy, his hand rests heavily on my abdomen. He sighs again, same edge of wistfulness as before, and his fingers rub my belly, parting my shirt to expose my skin. He places a lingering kiss to the spot his attention has turned to.

My fingers card through His disheveled curls. I just love how soft his hair is to the touch. My eyes close contentedly for a few minutes, but the smile I was sporting washes off, when I open my eyes and look down at him, only to find him frowning, as his big, heavy hand rubs small, circular motions all over my exposed, flat stomach.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

I startled him. His eyes find mine easily, and then he shakes his head, propping his chin on the knuckles, of the hand that lays heavily on my tummy.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," he tries to smile, but it comes out as pained.

I feel my forehead knit together in the middle. "No. It's something," I say running my hand down his face, "You were so content a moment ago, and now you look so sad. What's wrong?" I ask again as gently as I can.

He gives me a small grimace, before running his free hand down his face. He lowers his forehead to my stomach, and shakes his head again, resuming his circular motions on the exposed plains of my skin.

"Your womb," He says and stays silent for what feels like hours, he kisses me softly on the place my womb is located, while his thumbs caress me up and down next to his lips.

I keep running my fingers through his hair, waiting patiently for him to work out, whatever it is that's bothering him, until he finally speaks again.

"Your womb is, and will forever remain _empty_ ," he lifts his face to me. The sorrow I see in his tortured eyes cut me deeply.

"It's alright, sweetie. We have each other," 

He shakes his head, stopping me in my tracks, "I really wanted to be a father." He says bitterly, burying his face back in my soft skin.

"Oh, Peeta..." My voice is barely a whisper, my fingers caress his face.

"I used to dream about them, you know," He says, turning his face to mine once more. "My children." He tells me unnecessarily.

I sigh, and press my lips together.

"The girl was a thing of beauty!" He says with a far away look in his eyes, his mind has gone to the land of his shattered dreams and unattainable desires; it breaks my heart I can't fix it for him. "Her hair was long, wavy, dark as night." He pauses and looks at me meaningfully, I'm slightly confused by this description, "She inherited my blue eyes of course, but the rest... She's all you."

"Me?" I ask bewildered. I never imagined he'd thought of us having babies together.

To be honest, I never had the opportunity to do it myself, but I blush furiously all the same; to know that he wants me so much, as to have imagined a family with me, it's just mind blowing.

"Well... Of course, you. You're my wife aren't you?" He says, the ghost of a smile making a swift appearance.

"I am now, but I wasn't before this evening," I tell him cocking and eyebrow. "I guess, I didn't think you'd imagine me as the mother of your child."

He chuckles mirthlessly, running his own hand through his hair, since mine fell away with the surprise of his revelation.

"Oh Katniss... There's so much history between us, you don't even have a clue!" He mumbles as he shakes his head. "Of course I've imagined you as the mother of my children. By the way, in my fantasies, we have two, not only one. The girl is older, and then there's the boy, who's my spitting image, except for his eyes. He's got your gray eyes," he smiles at me, a real smile.

"Oh," I gasp. It's all I'm able to give him in response.

"Yeah. Who did you think I'd fantasized about having a family with?" He asks raising and eyebrow at me, his upper body now leaning up, on his elbows.

I shrug, "Don't really know," I say averting my gaze, "Some, faceless, nondescript, merchant woman from town. I don't know." It's true, I have no idea. I never thought about it. "I guess, Delly would've eventually fill the blanks." I say absently.

He snorts. "No chance." He says firmly, trapping my chin in his hand, turning my face back to look at him. He's climbed all the way back to my side, his face hovering above mine, his lips scarcely three inches from my mouth.

"Do you remember Arabell, the rag doll?" He asks cocking his head to the side.

I'm utterly shocked at his question.

Of course I remember Arabell. She's my favorite doll, still sitting on a shelf right here in my bedroom. I'm speechless for a moment, but when I finally find my voice, it's full of wonder and disbelief.

"H-how do you know about Arabell?" I ask in awe, "How do you even know her name?" My eyes are wide and searching his face.

A soft, sweet smile lifts his face, "Sweetheart, when are you gonna learn that I know almost everything about you?" He then grimaces comically, "Well, I did missed a couple of years, during puberty, but... Even then, I was aware of your comings and goings."

I roll my eyes at his sheepish smile. We've had this conversation before, of when he finally decided a thirteen year old boy was more interested in boobage, than what a scrawny little huntresses did with her time. I don't hold it against him, he was a growing boy, eager to explore the opposite sex like a normal teenager.

"Anyway," he brings my mind back to the present, "I know quite a bit about Arabell Sophia, Princess of the gumdrop forest." He smiles cheekily at me, when my eyes go as wide as they can go.

"How did you...?" I ask weakly. He cups my face with one hand and kisses my lips, then slips one arm over my middle, while he props himself on his other elbow.

"Well, I saw when Ms. Sae gave it to you. I was surprised you were so excited about getting such a raggedy piece of cloth. I mean, you were about six if I'm not mistaken, but Arabell was a hand-me-down from Ms. Sae's family," he says. Then in he adds with a soft smile, "I remember you coming into the bakery telling your dad all about Arabell's adventures as the Princess of the Gumdrop Forest... You had quite a vivid imagination," he brushes my hair behind my ear tenderly.

"I-I remember. Arabell was my very first doll, and remained my only doll until..." I look up at him again, as if I'm looking at him for the very first time.

He smiles shyly and nods.

I got my second doll when I was twelve, a small papier-mâché marionette, someone had hand made and put up for sell during a Harvest Festival. It was a gift from teenager Peeta.

 

_At first I thought he was just handing them out to children that came to the toy maker's stall, it wasn't uncommon to see the older kids working different stalls during the festival, to earn extra coin, and the marionettes were a bit on the rough side, not the toy maker's best work by a mile.  
_

_I had been standing at the toy stall, staring at the table laden with toys of all shapes, types and sizes. Of course I couldn't afford any of them, but I still liked to look. Peeta simply stepped next to me, and when I teared my eyes from the display, was surprised to find him looking down at me with a benign smile on his face._

_He asked me if I saw anything I liked, and I nodded my head mutely. "Which one?" He prompted gently._

_I extended my arm and pointed at the boy puppet with yellow colored hair. He had a painted pair of blue eyes, rosy cheeks and lopsided smile. Peeta's face shifted slightly in surprise, but quickly settled in the same friendly smile he had given me before. He reached for it, and handed it to me. "There you go." He said, making my cheeks burn._

_"I can't pay for it," I mumbled bowing my head in embarrassment, I still held on to the toy reluctant to return it._

_"Well, I never said you had to pay for it, did I?" He asked with a small laugh._

_I looked up, confused._

_"You don't have to pay for it, little girl. Just promise me you'd take good care of it," he said nudging the doll closer to my chest._

_I nodded eagerly, and he patted my head, "Good! Now, go play with it already!" I scampered away from him as fast as my legs allowed, his melodic laugh followed me as I left._

_Laying in my bed that night, Arabell wrapped in one arm and Pietro in the other, I realized I never thanked that boy, Peeta Mellark, for letting me take the puppet home._

 

I'm brought back to the present by his kiss on my forehead, I look up at him, frowning in confusion.

"You gave me Pietro,"

He smiles sheepishly. "You named him Pietro?" He asks curiously in a very soft tone.

"Well, I couldn't very well named him _Peeta_ , could I?" I quip back

"I guess not," he laughs, reminding me there's still some gratitude that needs to be voiced.

"Thank you," I say softly, "for him. He was a very good friend to Arabell,"

"You're welcome. Um... Do you still have it?" He asks quietly.

"Pietro? Of course! Hes right over there, next to Arabell," I beam at him, pointing a hand to my bookshelf at the other side of the room. "I plan to hand them over  to Prim, on her fifth birthday." If Peeta wasn't half laying on top of my torso, I would get up and gather the toys, bring them back to bed with me, so he can see them.

Peeta makes an approving sound at the back of his throat.

"You know," he pauses, his eyes have that same gloss over quality they get, when he's remembering something dear, "the first time I saw you cradling Arabell in your arms, rocking her sweetly, singing that lullaby, was the moment I knew I wanted to be a daddy, if you were the mommy,"

Again, I'm speechless. My face must be a poem of confusion and astonishment, because he quickly continues with his story.

"As I said, you were about six, and I wasn't into breasts yet," he chuckles nervously. If I was six, then he was about eleven or twelve. "I saw how you so lovingly, sang your baby to sleep, and I was amazed," he explains quietly, his eyes focus back on mine for a moment, I see wistfulness in them.

"I wondered for days, how a girl with no mother, could be sweeter, _gentler_ , than my own mother, and I realized, it was you I wanted as the mother of my babies." He smiles sadly at me, then lays on his back, and pulls me on top of him. "I wanted for my babies, what I was never given," he says kissing my hair.

I sigh into his chest. This conversation has stunned me so much, I can't even decide if it's painful, sweet or downright cruel, for him to be relieving all of this.

"In my dream," he says, "Arabell turned into a living, breathing child. You were older, not as old as my mother, but as old as Miss Cecilia,"

"The preschool teacher?" I ask rising my face from his chest.

He nods, then shrugs. "I thought she was pretty back then. She was very sweet with the little kids too." He says as response.

"Oh." I lay my head back on his chest, and start playing with the soft smattering of blonde hair peeking from under his unbuttoned shirt. "What else did you dream about?" I ask curiously.

"Well, as I said, Arabell was easy to imagine turning into a real kid. I used to sit for hours making up stories to complement the ones you told your dad about Princess Arabell Sophia, but soon, I realized, I couldn't just play pretend, I was a knight in shining armor, rescuing my fair princess baby girl from dragons, all the time. And well, for some reason girls weren't good at duels in my mind back then, so I conjured up the boy out of pure imagination, because I guess I needed some testosterone fueled dreams as well. I imagined me and son exploring ruins, and ancient temples, with hidden treasure... It was nice, actually. The bases for the boy's likeness, was an old picture of myself as a four year old, of course." He chuckles.

"Of course!" I agree.

"That's when the finer details of how they looked came to be," he says, his fingers start massaging my skull, and I close my eyes, letting his soothing voice, paint the picture of our imaginary children, in my mind's eye.

"The girl got my eyes, and the boy got yours, so nobody could mistake them for other people's children."

I giggle. "I can't imagine!" I say, tightening my hold on him.

"So, every time you came round the bakery with Arabell in your caring arms, I wished you'd invite me to play house with you. I would've done it in a heart beat, even if I was just supposed to represent the house pet."

I shift above him, bringing my leg up, straddling his waist. "Is that so?" I purr a hairs breath away from his lips.

"Yeah," he breaths out softly. "I would've been a good daddy to our babies," he says sadly, caressing my face, I roll my hips against his groin, because I want to distract him from dreams that will never come true for us, but, his still lost in that world.

"There would've been elaborate birthday cakes every year, I would've brush cookie crumbs of off their cheeks and mouths, praying to almighty God you didn't discovered I fed them sweets before supper. You would've always found out regardless my efforts, because one, or maybe both rugrats would betray me and blab, costing me yet another one of your lectures about sneaking them treats that ruined their appetites,"

"The nerve of those children!" I exclaim, licking his neck. "How dare them? I'm sure you'd loved the opportunity to grovel for forgiveness," I whisper into his ear, taking his earlobe between my teeth.

"You would've like that, wouldn't you?" He says, finally catching up with my intentions.

"Aha..." I sing-song, snaking my hand to his nether region. He's already hardening. "You know, I think I really wanna play house with you right now. You'll be the husband... I'll be wife..."

"Oh, we've been playing house for a while already! I realized I was playing house with you, the first time you held Prim in your arms." He says completely serious, and stilling my insulating hips with his big hands. 

Well, fuck! If there was a comment that would kill the mood in a second, _that,_ was it.

I stop my shameless grinding, against him, and frown.

"Peeta, Prim is a real life little girl. She's not a rag doll, and she's got real life parents. It was wrong of us to try and usurp their place. She needs her parents..."

"I know, Katniss," he cuts me off abruptly. Sitting up himself, with a firm hold of my body in his arms. He lifts me off his lap, and sits me on the mattress in front of him. "I'm aware of how wrong I was, to take the responsibility from your folks, and placed on you. I did it, because having children with you was my dream, damn it! I wanted to raise a baby with you.

"I knew it was never going to happen for us, so I saw the opportunity, dancing in front of me, and I grabbed it. I now know it was irresponsible, dumb and unfair, but for a while, it made me believe that we had gotten our happily ever after. I was probably lying to myself, I don't really know, but I felt like something good, was finally happening to me, and I tried to convinced myself that we were doing the right thing. 

"Luckily, you're much smarter and wiser that me. You came to right conclusion on your own, and did what was right for everyone. I know I need to apologize to Lilian and your father at some point. But, I needed to tell you about everything that led me to do, something so arbitrary and unfair." 

He finally quiets. He falls back on the bed, defeated and slings his arm over his eyes, and just stays there, still, like a statue. 

"I love you, Peeta," I whisper, crawling to lay next to his body. It's the first thing that came into my mind to say, but it works. 

He lowers his arm from his face, and looks down at me. His face is stony, closed off, probably because he's trying to hide the pain he's been carrying around his whole life. He wanted children, so he could give them all he never had, including a loving mother, that somehow, in his mind, had taken my shape. My heart breaks for him. 

"Make love to me," I breath out, slipping my flannel shirt from my shoulders. 

"Not in here, honey. Not in your father's house. I won't disrespect him that way, but, the forest is only a few yards from your window, if you don't mind climbing out with me," 

I'm on my feet, pulling him to the window in no time. I'm still stark naked when I try to slide my body through the open window, but he presses the shirt back into my chest, and leaning down, commands into my ear, to put it back on. I obey, and soon, we are running into the night, hand in hand, with lovemaking in our minds. 

 

  **To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this was always the point were I was going to end the story. I wanted an unresolved tale, were everyone could sort of think up their own continuation, and then have a small vague epilogue to close finish it up officially. **But** , a few of you have suggested he gets cured, or Katniss somehow conceives, so, here's the deal:
> 
> This is, the last mapped out chapter in the story. I have nothing else planed after this, except for the vague epilogue I talked about above, but I'm opening a poll:
> 
> 1) Peeta gets cured. His vampiric powers reversed. I would need some kind of catharsis for this to happen, so it would probably extend the story a chapter or two. 
> 
> 2) Katniss gets pregnant miraculously, thus giving Peeta that, he's craved his whole life. 
> 
> 3) I develop secondary characters' stories, for example: We learn Delly's back story, and why she hates Katniss so much. We see if Mr Mellark finds love. We see what happens to the Everdeens, including a glimpse on Prim's future. We see the Hawthorne's, Haymitch's and Peeta's other two girls futures, plus Johanna's and Finnick's.
> 
> 4) Nothing happens, and I just finish it how I planed it. 
> 
> I could be persuaded to mix options for the right prompt! 
> 
> Leave me a message with your vote, or you can even write in your own candidate!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of THG. 
> 
> All mistakes are mine.   
>  
> 
> **Peeta's POV**

The sky is still very dark outside Katniss' bedroom window, but the sun will rise soon enough. Reluctantly, I detangle myself from my bride's sleeping form, wishing she was in my own bed, instead of her father's house. 

I allow myself to fantasize about what will it be like, once she's living under my roof, sleeping in my bed: Would I even let her sleep? If I had my way, I'd keep her naked in my bedroom at all hours of the day, because there isn't anything in this world, I like better than admiring Katniss' smooth, bare, olive skin.

I remind myself of where I am, and that my beloved wife it's still new to coitus, she needs her rest, I exhausted her, from the many times I had her last evening, and she did mentioned being achy and sore all over. I need to pace myself, or I'll brake her. She's only human after all.

I hover above her bed, watching her burrow deeper into her pillow, her slim, delicate hand seeks me out lazily, but I don't want her to wake, so I touch her forehead with the tip of my finger, and _tell_ her to relax, to rest. She yawns at my gentle command, and falls into a comfortable slumber. I smile at her, my heart is so full of love for her, I feel it beat twice, strong and sharp, but the sensation ebbs a moment later.

I decide it's time to get hoing, I don't want to be here when her family wakes up, and if the Everdeens are something, it is early risers... all of them. 

Still, I look around for something to write a note, letting Katniss know I'll be back later, when the sun has gone down. Finding  paper and pen, I quickly scribble a few lines, filling it with as much love and assurances as I can, I even dedicate a long paragraph describing how beautiful she looked passed out; I end my note, by informing her I'll be at Snow's mansion, taking care of some business, but my thoughts  remains with her. I put my letter next to her hand, that rests curled, palm up, on the pillow I laid on.

She's an angel. I caress her hair, and kiss her forehead, before slipping through the window, into the darkness.

 

 

I trudge along the back alleys of town, everything's so still, so quiet, it feels like walking through a ghost town. I know there's people all over the place, I feel and smell them all, hidden behind the protection of their homes. They're asleep, like some enchantment has fallen on them, it's strange how there's no one awake getting breakfast ready for their family, it's not too early for it, although is dark out.

I wonder if my presence back in the district, has made them so weary, they simply tired easier than usual. I wonder if I'll ever stop feeling guilty for causing people so much distress, its out of my control, what I am, and how that make others feel. 

Heavens know, I've tried my best to be conscientious about the preciousness of human lives. Respecting my fellow citizens as much as my own nature abides.

In no time, I've crossed town, and I'm entering the open road leading out to the district limits, and to Snow's mansion. 

Johanna insists on calling it ' _The Nest_ ', but for a dwelling to reach nest status, has to house more than two vampires, and that manor is about to get abandoned very soon. 

It was nice of Johanna to tag along on my journey back home; I'm grateful to her for keeping me company those last months making my way to Twelve, keeping me centered and light, not allowing me to turn around in sheer panic and self loathing, dreading Katniss' reaction to my reappearance. Jo had a way with blunt wirds, to convince me that I did deserved a slice of happiness in my life, dead or undead, I deserved to hold the one I loved in my arms, and keep her close for as long as she'd allowed me. 

I'm grateful for her understanding, when she needed physical contact with a male, and I refused her. I only wanted one body, and Johanna wasn't it. She understood, and supported me without judging or mocking decision. I'll never forget that kindness from her, and I hope to somehow repay her one day. 

Snow mansion is close enough for me to sense Johanna is nowhere to be found, but the house is not empty. I can faintly hear a heart beat, and I vaguely recognize it. 

I pick up my pace, to where I'm almost gliding off the ground, so fast, I'd only be a blur to any passerbys. The closer I get to the estate, the stronger the heart beat sounds, and I think I recognize it as belonging to one of _the girls_ ; who? I'm not entirely sure, two of them have the same heart rate pattern, although they smell very differently. 

When I've reached the wrought iron gates leading up the path to the front door, I've narrow it down to the most likely choice. I have a sinking suspicion I know who's here. Cressida could never be bothered to venture out of the confines of town after dark, Bristel's heart beat sounds different, but Delly... She'd live in the mansion as my slave, if I'd have allowed her. She used to sneak in at any hours of the day or night, for a lengthy romp in the sack.

 

 

My hunch is confirmed as soon as I step into the foyer. The house reeks of Delly's cloying perfume. 

How many times have I asked her, to NOT wear the damn thing? 

It's a good thing Johanna is out, I can smell Delly's arousal, mixed in with the perfume and the aroma of her blood, warm and healthy, is truly tempting. Johanna would have no qualms, bedding another woman if it came down to it, and she wasn't nearly as restrained or disciplined as Finnick taught me to be, with our feeding sources.

Delly would be dead by now, if she had encountered Jo. She should count herself lucky. 

I make my way up the grand staircase in the middle of the room, guessing that I'll find the intruder in the bedroom I adopted as mine. I could never touch the rooms Snow had occupied. Just the thought of laying down on the same bed as him, made me anxious to the point of wishing my stomach worked like a live person's did, because although I felt sick and on the verge of puking, I could only dry-heave, without the possibility of emptying my stomach. It was bad enough I had to ' _live_ ' here, but to inhabit his personal spaces, was unthinkable. 

The further along the hallway leading to my room I walk, the more her smell intensifies. By the slow rythmn of her heart, I surmise she's asleep. Which brings the question to mind: how long has she been here? And more importantly, where the hell is Johanna?

The door to my bedroom is ajar, so I simply push through it, and step right up to the edge of my bed, where Delly lies, as real as my mounting annoyance. 

I scowl, thinking on the best way to wake her up, and send on her way, before Johanna returns. She's bound to come back any minute now, she'll never risk getting caught by sunrise, and to be honest, I don't really like the prospect of Delly being here by the time Johanna shows up, much less have them cross paths, on the deserted road. Delly might be a pain in my ass must days, but she's still my childhood best friend, I can't let Johanna eat her. 

Shaking my head, I crouch next to her head, and nudge her shoulder gently. 

She stirs, sighs, and flops over, but her eyes never open. Her blonde curly hair falls everywhere around her head, making her look like golden lion.

In all her moving about, the sheet covering her body slips, baring her full naked breasts to me. She's at least three sizes bigger than Katniss, and her nipples look like rosy candy tips, on her very pale mounds, teensy veins expand over her breasts, like thin little rivers, flowing with crimson blood.

I can almost taste the warm juice of her life force in my tongue, yet, the mere idea of sinking my teeth into her flesh, appalls me. 

I don't feel any hunger whatsoever, when I see her jugular pulsing in her neck. Instead I start daydreaming of Katniss' deliciously placed femoral, from where I've starte feeding since last evening, and just the memory of her taste, mixed with the smell of her arousal, has me hardening, being able to taste both her pussy and her arteries, fills me to the brim.

I wasn't aware my eyes had fallen shut, until I've opened them abruptly, when I hear Delly moan in her sleep. 

She shifts again, and the sheet falls lower. Curly, light brown, almost reddish pubic hair greets my eyes; I look away immediately. She's not what I want. She never was, but she served as placeholder, until the one I craved was mature enough to fuck. I grunt under my breath, I need to get her out of here soon.

"Delly, come on. Delly, wake up." I say not really loud, but firm enough to convey severity. I shake her shoulder a little harder this time, and slowly, she yawns, stretching on the bed, and finally, I see the blue of her irises peek back at me. 

She smiles. 

I feel like a jackass everytime she looks at me, with eyes brimming with barely concealed adoration.  I always feel like I robed her from a future she can no longer aspire for, that I've led her on, all this years, even though the circumstances that landed us here, were always out of my control. I have to constantly remind myself, I was honest with her and the other two from the beginning, I could never be tied to either of them, and then, I made it plenty clear I was in love with Katniss, and they were just there to assuage an all consuming  need. 

I believe I'll always feel responsible for Delly. Ours, is a very long and rocky history.

_We were around sixteen, when our mothers decided Delly and I would marry each other when we came of age. It was financially advantageous for both our families, and our fathers didn't really objected to it. Like gullible boy of my age, I thought my mother was right, Katniss just being a pre-pubescent kid, albeit deadly while wielding her bow, was driven out of my mind, since my mother had convinced me, Delly was a perfect match for me._

_Maybe she was, in theory: we'd been friends since we could toddled, we had been in the same clases at school, we had more friends in common than not, she knew almost everything about me and vice-versa, more importantly, Delly was set to inherit her parents shoe making business, while my future prospects were looking a bit bleak; being the third son I would have been left to figure out how to support myself, elsewhere, once my older brother took over the bakery._

_The arguments were very compelling indeed, but my mind was made up, when mother hinted that I could have Delly any way I wanted, without fear of being looked down on, since Delly would basically be my unnoficial bride. She truly helped my mother's case by eagerly presenting herself to me without my asking. Dells had always had those big tits, and boy, did I like to squeeze them in my hands! The ability of exploring a willing body from the opposite sex, more suited to my age, obliterated from my mind, any lingering memory of eleven year old Katniss._

_I stopped dreaming about her mothering babie dolls, because I was old enough to know she was never catching up with me, age wise. Physically, she didn't appeal to me like Delly's breasts did, at least, not until my mother was dead, and grief curbed my hormone induce greed. Then one day, out of the blue, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks square to the gut: that little tomboyish huntress, became a teenager herself, and she was growing into a stunning young lady!_

_I remember Lilian started giving Katniss her old dresses, from before she married my father, and that was when I started doubting my earlier reasonings on why I wanted Delly. The dresses were a bit big on Katniss' thin, petite frame, but she looked lovely anyway. Very soft curves started taking shape around her hips, and I discovered, small breasts weren't bad at all! Seeing her already, well defined legs and shapely arms, modeled beautifully by the exertion that hunting in the woods day after day took, was a welcome bonus._

_My appreciation of Katniss, went beyond the physical; she was kind, smart, held herself with poised and was a savvy negotiator. I loved listening to her bartering in town, with merchants quadrupled her age and always coming up on top with the most advantageous trades; most of her clients respected her and viewed her as their equal, regardless her tender age._

_I loved listen to her sing. When I was a little boy, I first noticed her singing voice. She's always sounded like an angel._

_When Katniss was a few months shy of fifteen, right before Snow saw to it I took my last breath, I knew I was in trouble. Her smile did things to me insides, Delly had never achieved even completely nude beneath me; that's when all the feelings of inadequacy and indecency started to drawn me._

_The guilt I felt for being infatuated with a fourteen year old ate at me worse than any insult my mother could've ever lob my way growing up. Katniss was still too young for me to approach, but I admired her from afar, I tried hard to not succumbed to the crushing shame, compromising my moral standards by pining over a girl so much younger than me was causing. I felt despicable, just for feeling that small flutter in my stomach, every time I caught sight of her shiny black braid swing in tandem with her steps._

_By the time I started questioning wether marrying Delly was a good idea or not, we'd already had a long sexual history  together; we've begun discussing marriage before the bakery fire, but it was, my guilt over my feelings for Katniss and  the sense of obligation I felt towards Delly, that prompted me to start looking into buying a house. I was killed one a few days after gathering my first payment on the house, that later on became my play things' home, after turning vampire, I guess the house was always supposed to be Delly's after all, wether I lived with her or not._

_I have no idea, if I would've gone through marrying her, what know for a fact, is that I cared for Katniss strongly enough to die for her, for her father. Delly made the connection eventually. She raged about it for days. She accused Katniss of being a home wrecker, even though we had never been officially married, nor was Katniss aware of my struggles about her... those were the days in which I hated Delly so much, I got me extra girls to spend time with._

_Cressida and Bristel were all consenting adults, with their own agendas, unlike Delly, they never clung to me, but we're grateful I provided for them and their families. They still deserved better than being pariahs in this town because of me. Neither deserved to be made into a fuck toy to satisfy my selfish needs. I'm ashamed of my behavior, even if I didn't have the knowledge or skills to keep my impulses under control. I know I'll have to make reparations at some point. I'll cross that bridge in due time, for right now, I need to get Delly out of this house, before real danger can come over her._

"Peeta..." She whispers smiling, her hand reaches for my face, and I allow her the comfort of caressing me. 

Her fingers smell like they been playing between her own folds, which accounts for the smell of arousal that I percieved when I first sensed her here. Maybe she had been reading herself for me, too bad I have no desire to have her anymore. The quicker I tell her that, the better. 

"Hi, Delly. Look, you need to get dressed and get going now," her forehead wrinkles in a frown. 

"Why?" Her voice is rough with sleep, and rage and hurt start to gather in her blue eyes. 

"It's not safe for you here, you need to get up and go." I say with urgency. 

"Why?" She asks once more, stubbornly.

"Delly, could you please, stop questioning me like fucking toddler. Get your shit together and leave! There's another vampire in town, and she isn't anything like me! Believe me, you don't want to meet her somewhere where you're easy prey. Now come on, get dressed, I'll walk you as close to town as I can," I tell her sternly. 

She finally concedes, after moment searching my face. I can't say I'm relieved by the hopeful look she gives me.

"Okay, Peeta," she says softly, "Just because you're so concerned about me," she's got a brilliant smile etched on her lips, but finally she's gotten her ass out of bed, and is dressing herself. 

Suddenly, she stops. Her shirt is only halfway buttoned up, and her trousers are on, but not zipped. She looks at me quizzically. 

"Isn't this your home? Vampires can't entered a dwelling uninvited," 

"I'm a vampire. That rule only applies to a human home. Hurry up, would you?" I growl at her, which finally puts some fire in her dim mind. I'm not above baring my fangs at her by now. Anything to get her the hell away from here. 

She finally pulls on her boot laces and stands, ready to go. "I was so happy when I heard you were back, but... You never came to see me," she pouts, and I'm so beyond annoyed at her that I grab her by the elbow, and pull her out of the room none too gently. "You know, we could stay in this room all day together, making up for lost time," she bats her eyelashes at me, as if she's not aware of the dangerous line she's toying with right now. 

I'm so very close to lose patience with her, and I wouldn't mind just leave her in the _nest_ to her own devices, see if Jo puts up with her nonsense. But, I can't leave her to fend of for herself, that'll be cruel. 

"Come on, Dells, we don't have much time before sunrise," I mutter under my breath, and we finally made it to the landing, and soon we are rushing across the front door, and into the overgrown rose garden, that I so despise. The sky is already a soft mix of lavender, pink and orange, the sun rays right on the heels of the beautiful pastels painting the clear sky above us. 

Suddenly, I realize, that if Jo isn't here in five minutes, she won't be here at all until sundown, and I start to feel anxious about my friend, now. Where could she be?

Since I'm still holding unto Delly's elbow, I drag her all the way to the wrought iron gate, and once she's stepped outside of it, I let go of her arm, and in the same motion, pull the gate close between us. This is as far as I dare go, with the sun about to rise above the mountains. 

Delly turns to look at me, confused, hurt and surprised. "Peeta?" She asks searching my face. 

I only shake my head no. 

"You lied to me? About the other vampire?" She breathes out harshly. 

I shake my head again, and this time I can't meet her eyes. 

"No. There's a vampire in town besides me, Johanna Mason. She's as dangerous as they come, but she abides by our rules. She'll stay hidden wherever she spent the night last night, and return here when the sun is down. I have to stress to you, DO NOT come back to this place. Not you, not any of the other girls. It's not safe, and I'm not going to be here to protect you, a vampire is not held accountable for what it does to prey that walks into its den willingly, and this," I gesture back at the mansion behind me, "Is Johanna's lair for the time being," 

"What about you?" She asks, holding on to the bars of the gate, "where will you be, then?" 

I finally look her in the eye, "With my bride," I say.

Her face crumbles down, her shoulders fall in a sad slouch. "So it's true?" Her voice is barely above a whisper, "You're planing to marry her, then?" Her eyes fill with tears she barely holds back.

I don't respond, my silence is enough confirmation. And her face hardens. She lifts her chin in defiance, "She will never be any good in bed! Not like me, she won't know how to please you!" 

"Oh, but she does!" The words slip out of my mouth of their own volition, and I regret them instantly. 

Delly's eyes widened as understanding sinks in. "That little slut!" She screeches angrily, "She can't have you! You're mine, you were supposed to marry me, not her!" 

"Goodbye Delly," I say turning around tiredly. I don't have the patience to deal with her rage-full rants, and I can feel the first tendrils of sun spreading over the mountains, soon they will be as painful on my skin as whipping lashes, but I stop in my tracks when Delly screams one last threat against Katniss.

"I'm gonna go to her house, I'm gonna tell everyone in town how she let you fuck her, I will drag her by the hair to the middle of town square, and have the townsfolk beat her to death!" 

I, myself, have no idea how did I managed to tear the whole gate off its hinges, but it lays on the ground, twisted and useless, and my hand is wrapped around Delly's slim neck, her feet dangling frantically a foot from the ground, and her knuckles have gone white, fighting to hold herself up on my fist. 

"Peet...augh..." The syllables come out in a painful gurgle. She's pleading for her life now. I can't make myself care to listen.

A sun ray lands on the back of the hand holding her up, steam rises from my burning flesh, but I'm so furious, I can't feel the pain. 

I bring Delly's face a hair's breadth from my own, I speak in my vampire voice, a demon's voice, "Don't you dare touch a hair of my wife's head. Don't you dare call her something she's not, she's not a slut, she's my mate, my wife. If anything happens to her, so help me, I'll come after you!" 

Shes twitching spastically in my fist. I let her fall to the ground, where she finally can breathe again, coughing and rubbing her neck desperately. Her eyes are bloodshot and tears and snot cover her face. 

"We're through!" I scream at her form, shrinking in ground, before turning back on her. 

"Please..." She sobs raggedly, her voice raw and hoarse. "What will become of me? Peeta, please don't," 

I walk on, never looking back, while she still calls my name as loud as her barely there voice allows her, and then I shut the door behind me, with one more of wails following me inside:

"PEETA! You bastard, curse you!" 

Maybe after I calm down, I might be able to see straight once more. Maybe then, I can try and care about Delly's fate. 

  ~~~~

* * *

 

It's late afternoon, the sun is descending slowly and steady in the horizon... _Finally_! 

I've done all the mundane things a person can do: bathed, groomed myself, napped although I don't really need it, straightened my place, changed the linens spoiled by Delly's self procured release; now I'm restlessly pacing around my lobby, waiting for the sun to finally weaken enough for me to call the cover of stormy clouds, so I can tear through my front doors, and go see Katniss. 

I'm sure I scared the idea of retaliation against Katniss out of Delly for the time being, but I can never be so sure. Angry women are scarier than any living dead I know.

All the same, I've been trying all day to not abuse my ability to call darkness over the land of the living, I promised myself I would be different this time. All that went out the window this morning though. I almost killed a woman out of anger, and I've still yet to feel remorse about it, I'm just terrified she'd do something to hurt my Katniss.

"Finally!" I say peering out the window, the last sliver of sun has disappear into the outline of the earth.

I raise both arms, and close my eyes, stepping closer to the window facing the sky, and then, gray stormy clouds overcast the once blue open space above me. It's time to move!

I decide to run, no sense on taking my time anymore, so I'm in the middle of town in seconds. Normally I try to be a considerate vampire going around the perimeter of town, giving the humans a chance to hide in their homes, but I'm not looking to feed, even if they don't know that, I cross town through the middle of the main road, it's good for them to see I mean business every once in a while.

I take to walk with my head held high. I see mothers pulling their children by their scruff as fast as they can, away from my path, as if I've ever hurt one the little ones. Makes me want yo scoff at them, mock charge them and 'Boo' then, just to get a giggle out of it myself, but I don't. As they see me come down the road, people duck and hide, or freeze on the sidewalks, I simply plow through not catching anyone's eyes, this stroll around the town is to show my face, I'm back, it's high time they saw me, it's high time they fear me again, if only for the next couple of weeks, until I can take my wife away from here.

But then, I'm abruptly stopped by possibly the most ludicrous of voices there could ever exist, his lack of fear amuses and annoys me equally.

"Boy! What the hell is going on with the bakery?" Asks Haymitch Abernathy gruffly from his usual spot, in front of 'Ripper's Bar and Liquor Emporium', the old man doesn't even flinch when my eyes fly to him. He's not scared of me, he knows I'm not here to kill, but to intimidate order into my denizens. 

Still, I stop in my tracks, because he's talk about the bakery is possibly the only topic anyone can use to derail my mind from the things I've set out to do while in town.

"What d'you mean?" I ask suspiciously.

"Well, it's been closed all day," He responds tipping back the flask he pulled from his breast pocket. "Usually Mitchell would open up shop for your old man, if he's indisposed... But poor Mitchell is home... Recuperating for his encounter with you the other day," he eyes me pointedly, not an ounce of fear in his accusing stare, before gulping back whatever contents fills in his flask.

If I didn't know better, I'd say Katniss was his flesh and blood, but they smell completely different, even without the help of the alcohol running through his veins, thinning out his blood... Ugh!

"I don't know what you're talking about old man. I'm sorry about Mitchell, I didn't mean him any harm if he was just being nice to my girl, but I have no idea of what's the matter with my father. I'll check it out after I take care of another important business I have here in town," I tell him while frowning up a storm. 

One more thing to be worried about, and my day hasn't even begun yet. I wished at least Johanna would pop out from wherever she is, so I know what she's up to. This is my village, and I won't allow her to run around devastating my people if I can help it. I'm not about to let them be killed, whatever they think of me. 

"Do that, Boy. The townsfolk need their feed, as much as you need yours," Haymitch finishes, by capping the flask and returning it to its place above his heart. I see he's trying to help me ease the others into knowing I'm not going to harm them.

I nod my gratitude, before saying loudly, "None of them are my personal cattle! I feel no obligation to fattened them up, but I will look into the bakery being closed. The people will have their bread, and eat it too,"

"Whatever," He shrugs, and with that he turns around, and slouches inside Ripper's, turning his back on the rest of us, with his job done.

 

 

I step into the house I bought the girls many years ago. I don't knock, I simply let myself in. Only two of them are here. Where Delly is, I have no clue, although I wish she was here, so I don't  have to return and speak with her about this. 

"Cressida! Bristel!" I call their names as if I still owned them,  they responde accordingly, entering the living room in a submissive manner. They don't look me in the eyes, they never do. Only a handful people do now a days, and none of them are in this room.

"Peeta, we heard you were in town. We were waiting for you to call us." Says Bristel stepping closer to me.

Cressida hangs back a few paces, hands wringing together, or toying with the buttons of her blouse, as if waiting for my command to undo them. The command won't ever come!

Without preamble, I state what I've come here to say: "I'm only here to announce that I've taken Katniss as my mate. I won't be calling upon you to perform sexual services anymore. You're all free."

Their reactions are swift. Cressida gasps clutching her chest, a single tear runs down her cheek as she stumbles a step backward, while Bristel's pretty eyes widened and fix on my face for the first time in a long time; her mouth agape, disbelief painted in her surprised face, but then she surprises me with her worried words.

"Were you gentle with her? She's but a child, and very inexperienced. Don't make her do things she's not ready for, there are many things she's still so pure about..."

I lift my hand to stop her, and she falls quiet immediately.

"I know she's new to this. I was gentle, and I will take care of her with everything I have." I take a long pause, watching her eyes, that haven't calm down yet, and place my hands on her shoulders, "Bri, I love her, more than anything in this world. And I'm grateful to you and Cress," I glance at Cressida, who's breathing heavily, still holding her chest while weeping wha I believe to be happy tears. Cressida nods in acknowledgement, and I continue, "I know you both have been helping Katniss; teaching her, her womanly duties in the bedroom. Thank you. I won't forget what you did."

"So you're not mad? About us teaching Katniss about sex?" Cressida's voice is careful, quiet. 

"At first, maybe I was a little annoyed, but when I realized she wasn't scared, I knew you had done the right thing. You taught her what to expect, and she learned what she liked, making my job easier, and the experience less traumatic for her. She enjoyed her first times."

"Times? How many?" Bristel's eyes narrow for a split second. 

"I had to remove myself from her vecinity for a few hours after the fifth time." I sense of nervousness overcomes me as the words leave my mouth, im afraid d to hear what this women think of the way my greedy body took Katniss so many times, "She slept like an angel afterwards." A add softly. 

I can see Bri is only mildly alright with my answer. So I hug her. "She's stronger than we think, Bri. She enjoyed it. She asked for more, but I knew she needed a rest, so I gave it to her. I'm aware of what self control is, you know." I chuckle into her hair, and she sighs reluctantly accepting my words. 

 

 

I'm anxious to see my beautiful bride, but I decide is best to make sure my father is alright, Haymitch's comments weighting heavily in my mind.

As I approach the dwelling, a feeling of unease fills my chest, sharpening all of my senses instantly. 

"Johanna," I mutter under my breath, recognizing her scent at once, just... It shouldn't be. There are too many humans in this part of town, too much temptation for a vampire like Johanna. 

I try to sniff her out. I try to isolate her scent, while counting heart beats along the street, I find the beat that corresponds to my father in no time, and proceed to follow the familiar tattoo that my old man's heart gives off. I frown; his usually steady rythmn, is a good deal faster than usual. I speed up, covering the distance almost to his front steps, when I realize Johanna's smells intensify the closer I am to my father, until both his scent and her's intermingle. 

"That does it!" I exclaim to myself feeling panic rising unbiddended.

Screaming her name in a rage, I throw the door to my father's open and stomp inside like a fury, "Johanna Mason, you get the fuck away from my father, if you know what's good for you, or I'll end you!" I follow my nose and ears into the small washroom at the end of the house and all but throw the door down.

After a moment of screaming, confusion and uncomprehending staring, my mouth finally sputters wildly, "The fuck is this?" 

 

To be Continued...

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, sorry this took so long to get out there. I've been extremely busy the last few weeks: trying to get my old house ready to put on the market, my son's last two weeks of school, my mother-in-law getting surgery and me watching her for a few hours everyday until her husband comes home from work... It's been exhausting! But, I'm grateful to finally have this one chapter out. 
> 
> I apologize for how short it turned out to be, I was hoping to release a super long chapter on Peeta's POV, but things just weren't working out the way I wanted them, so I did what I could with this one. 
> 
> Also, I have come to a decision, that I hope you all approve of: I'm writing a sequel to this fic! 
> 
> After much consideration, I've come to the desicion that to do justice to Peeta's vampiric cure- which by the way, got a 100% amount of votes!- I can't just wrap it all up in a couple of chapters. I don't think it'll be realistic, plus, I think there are so many scenarios we can explore, that I hope are interesting. There will be one more chapter for Dead of Night, and then, I'll announce the name of the sequel, but I can tell you right now, we will have a new antagonist, Finnick and Annie will feature in the story a but more, and... SPOILER ALERT: Toastbabies!!! Yay! Because those were also voted in by most of you!
> 
> Talking about Finnick and Annie, I did write a small outtake on them, publish over tumblr. It's an Odesta stand-alone drabble, someone requested, I'm not sure where exactly to put it, I might bring it over to form part of the sequel, or I'll just publish it on its own and link the two stories, but I will be bringing it over AO3 at some point. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave me a comment!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been extensibly altered from its original version, and I can comfortably call it a "interactive collaboration, between readers and author", which putting it fancy, means I took a bunch of y'all's ideas, left for me on chapter 10, mixed 'em together, and got this jewel as a result! So, congratulations!!! You partially wrote this chapter ;) (I take full responsibility of my grammar and any other editing mistakes)
> 
> Multiple POVs

It's been three weeks since Peeta's return home unleashing a dizzying tornado of events and emotions setting the town's nerves asunder, and creating a fearful chaos in the population that hasn't been felt since the days when Snow prowled our streets, eating and dismembering victims left and right, as he pleased. 

Everyone is weary of Peeta's mercurial moods, that switch at the drop of a hat, except for maybe, me. It seems, Peeta is only happy anymore when either Prim or myself are around. 

People have always been afraid  of him for what he was turned into: a blood drinking creature of the night, that can break your neck or tear your limbs as if you were a mere insect, but now, after the events of his arrival, the terror has become acute in town. People have become recluses of their own fears, and if I didn't know the man behind the fangs as well as I do, I would be just like them; I can't say I blame them.

Fear is what kept the majority of our denizens alive during Snow's murderous rampage, although Peeta is nothing like the brute, and everyone knows for a tangible fact, he won't feed from unsuspecting subjects like Snow treacherously did.

I guess no one will ever be able to see my beloved Peeta beyond the dark monster he could be; no one but me, Prim and Mr. Mellark, would dare talk to our resident vampire, but the baker is a sore subject this days, so I don't touch it unless strictly necessary.

I managed to convince Peeta to delay our wedding until my papa was well enough to, either attend, or consiously refused to witness the most important day of my life.

Of course, as it was expected, Papa refused to see his eldest daughter pledge her life to _a 'living dead spawn of hell demon',_ as he so eloquently put it, no mattered how much I begged him to come. 

Lilian however, sat with me, prepared me a special bath, helped me wash up my hair and towel dry it, and dressed me into her best dress from her days as a merchant daughter back in town, a blue number with buttons on the front, cinched at the waist tightly, with a matching set of shoes that look and feel brand new.

I tried to refuse, but she wouldn't hear of it. She said it was the bare minimum she could do for me, and that I was as well as a daughter to her, even if we hadn't always seen eye to eye. So I finally allowed her to do my hair in intricate braids that she weaved expertly into a crown around my head. She let Prim put tiny white flowers into it, and sent me on my way, to get married.

But that was earlier this afternoon.

A Judge of the Peace was difficult to persuade to come to our house deep in the woods to make our union official. It was deemed too isolated for normal humans' comfort, so we arranged to go to the Justice Building at twilight. That's where my feet are rushing to right now.

News of our marriage spread like wild fire amongst our small town, in the time it took to leave my father's house and reach the mouth of the stone paved street, leading to the Justice Building. But facing the outrage and disgust of my fellow neighbors as they watch me walk hand in hand with my undead groom, is perhaps the worst thing I've experienced in years. The only reason people refrained themselves from jeering, mocking and cussing at me, is because they fear my husband-to-be so much more, than they are repulsed by the idea of a young woman willingly giving herself to such a monster. 

"Chin up, my dear. Everything is beneath you now," Peeta said gently under his breath, patting my hand lovingly. 

I rise my eyes from the packed dirt of the path we were leaving, and to my surprise saw a few friendly faces peering from behind opened windows. 

"Katniss!" A breathless voice cries out behind us. "Katniss, wait!"

We halt our march, and turn to see Cressida running after us, closely followed by a disheveled looking Brystol, pumping her legs with all her might. 

"Here!" Out of breath, tears brimming at the edge of her eyes, Cress hands me a small bouquet of primroses, cattails, katnisses, dandelions and baby's breath, tied up with green and orange ribbons that spill over my hands. "Flowers for the bride," she breathed hard, holding back her tears.

Just then, Brystol caught up. "We thought we've missed you," she heaved some air into her lungs. In Brystol fashion, she straighten up, and came closer until she was mere inches away from me. 

"In the olden days," she begun, untiying a bundled she cradled in her arms, "it was customary for brides to receive three gifts, I see you've gotten one already: _something blue_ ," she motioned to my dress.

"Oh... I had no idea," I said blushing.

Brystol smiled softly, "It's alright, only a few women know of the archaic traditions. Some of them came together, and gathered the gifts for you, which means now you get _something burrowed_ ," she pulled a solid gold pin from the bundle- A bird in flight, encircle on a thin ring, but it's only connected to it by the very tips of it's wide spread wings. 

I gasp, while she afixed it to my chest, right where my heart drummed fast and loud. "It's beautiful," I whisper. "But, it's too much. I promise to return it right away..."

"No," she said firmly, staring into my eyes, "it doesn't belong to me anyway. It belongs to Madge Hawthorne. You can give it back later. Don't worry about it," 

"Why isn't she here?" I asked before I could think better of it. It was such a stupid question.

"Well..." Cressida started, then quickly threw Peeta a nervous look, before continuing, "Peeta hasn't dealt with the Hawthornes yet." she said as ways of explanation.

As usual, I'm confused by that statement, and Bristol clarified, "They don't know what punishment awaits them for marrying, when Gale was supposed to be standing by to marry you, in case Peeta never came back..."

"Madge is weary," interrupted Peeta for the very first time since the conversation started. His tone easy, without trace of anger or even annoyance.

I turned to look at him, surprised by his declaration. A playful smirk dancing on his lips. He was actually amused by this. I frowned, because my best friends were scared to come deliver a gift for my wedding, and he found it _funny_?

As if reading my mind, Peeta smoothed a hand down my back, "I'm not angry at them. I won't hurt them. I'm disappointed they didn't wait for my arrival, but I understand. You can't deny love anymore than you can deny there's a sun shining down on earth. I should never had placed that burden on either of you," he smiled sadly. 

He turned to Brystol, "Let Gale know I don't plan to punish him, nor his wife. They were free of their debt, when my bride released them, and her word is enough for me." 

"I will." Said Bry, "And thank you. In case they never get to say it personally." 

I want to ask what she means by that, but she goes on, as if nothing had interrupted her. "The last gift: _something new,_ " she handed me a pristine, beautifully embroidered handkerchief, trimmed in lace, a big M is delicately stitched on one corner, flanked by smaller letters K and P, and today's date underneath. There are tiny flowers twisting around the lettering, I realized they are the fame flowers from my bouquet. 

My breath hitches, "It's beautiful!"

"I made it myself." Says Brystol, "well, actually, a few others helped with materials, and Cress picked fresh flowers everyday for me to modeled after." 

I threw myself at them, "Thank you!" I sobbed grateful tears. "Thank you. You are the best friends a girl could ever ask for."

"We should be thanking you." Said Cressida sobbing as well. "We got our freedom back, thanks to you. Because you were brave enough to love somebody no one would touch," 

I know Peeta can hear her, so does she, but he says nothing. He only watches with a cocked head, and soft smile. 

"We love you, Katniss. Never forget that," whispers Brystol.

"And I love you both!" 

I'm released from their embrace, and we smile at each other for a moment longer, before Peeta's hand slides up my back, until it's seated at the base of my shoulder. He squeezes a bit, before saying, "We better get going, dear. No reason to keep the rest of town waiting," 

It's true, everyone is watching from inside the safety of their homes.

Normally, people dash and hide in their houses no sooner than they see Peeta strolling about, always closing their shutters for extra precaution... Not this time. 

It was unnerving seeing all those faces hover at their windows, curtains pulled back and shutters wide open. The braver ones, even dared to open their front doors, and the truly thrill seekers pulled out chairs to sit in their porches to watch the procession of two, walk through the empty streets. 

Earlier on the week, Peeta had officially announced his marriage to me, explaining that as his living mate, I'd be his one and only source of nourishment. A few skeptics, like Haymitch Abernathy for example, asked how could only one, tiny girl, such as me, could sustain his hunger? How could I be the only one he'd feed from? How did he know he wouldn't be killing me with so many extractions of my precious blood? And then, they directly asked _me_ , if I wasn't scared he'd kill me on the first bite. 

The truth was, he'd had been feeding from me already. Every time we made love, during times we snuck out together to the meadow, he'd get a small sip of me, and that was enough for him. It wasn't like I was losing liters of blood a day, just a few grams, but then he'd stopped drawing from for a week, so I could rest, and while I rested, he found that raw meat from animals we'd hunt did the trick for him as long as it was temporary. 

He knows how to quell his thirst without damaging me while doing it. 

But I can see how the townsfolk would think me aberrant, for volunteering as his living tribute. Still, no one wants to take my place and sacrifice for me, so they do nothing, say nothing as they watch me walk with my head held high, stepping firm and surely ahead, because whatever they think of my Peeta, he's not the soulless monster they've made him out to be. He's a good man, and I love him no matter what!

The moment that particular thought crosses my mind, he stops mid footfall, his eyes widened and his mouth hangs open as if he just got punched in the gut. I'm panicking, because I have no idea what's going on. I pull on his arm, trying to get him to look at me, to tell me what's wrong.

His blue eyes fix on mine for what it feels like an eternity, wide and unblinking, and finally, after a long moment of uselessly opening and closing his mouth, words spill out from it.

"My heart," he chokes out clutching his chest both in fear an amazement. "My heart, it stuttered, it stirred. I felt it beat strong and real for a moment,"

"You did?" I ask breathlessly stepping into him with searching hands, running my palms over his chest desperately seeking a beat. But I find nothing. "Are you sure?" I ask again after I'm sure I don't feel his heart under my touch; I know I'm frowning in disappointment, so I try to school my features when I look up at him, but he knows. I can see it in his sad smile.

"Yeah. It's gone now, but I swear I felt it. It's strange, but it felt... full of love and loyalty. I think it was your own heart beat what I felt," 

"Oh," My cheeks burn. I lower my gaze, because I feel like I've been caught spying on him. Maybe in a way I was, although is not really spying, is more like loving him with the most sincere feelings I can muster. 

He lifts my face to his by holding my chin on his index finger. "I'm so in love with you, Katniss. Words will never describe the feelings. I know that marrying me today is the biggest sacrifice you'll ever do. I know it means you'll be ostracized ten times worse that Cressida and Brystol ever were, but I swear to you, I'll be the best me I can be... Unless you decide, right here, right now, that you don't want to continue.

"We will stop. I'll take you back home, and never bother you again if you tell me this moment, that you've changed your mind,"

"I won't!" I say resolutely, "I want to marry you, Peeta, I've loved you since I was a child, my mind will not change now, not after finally getting you back. Please don't doubt me, or my feelings. I'm not scared, and really I don't care what everyone else thinks!"

"Then, let's hurry. We're burning the last dregs of sunset!" He says with a bright smile, and we take of running hand in hand.

 

* * *

 

**Peeta's POV**

 

My bride lies in our bed asleep.

Her beautiful hair, shinny as the iridescent feathers of a raven, spill all around her head and down the satin covered pillows, like an ethereal halo worthy of a tragic angel. She looks so delicate, so sweet!

Pink, soft lips that I've kissed swollen, part to allow the air she breathes passage to her lungs; the soft curve of her cheeks, rosy and full; the slope of her nose, the dip of her neck, all covered in the most delicious flush; I can spy wayward beads of sweat that persist at her hairline and between her perfectly round breasts... Oh, the feel of those breasts on my lips and in my hands! _glorious_ , is only close to describing them, any other word falls short to explain how exquisite my bride is to my eyes. What wondrous sight, my mate- legally, my _wife_ \- in my bed, limbs twisted in soft sheets that now smell of her and our lovemaking, her womenly parts exposed to my hungry eyes: tempting, inviting, delectable. 

I lick my lips, because she's that... _appetizing_! 

I close my eyes, forcing myself to think of something- _anything_!- else, to distract me from the ravenous urges that watching her sleep like this stirs in me.

I remind myself that my cum is still fresh and slick on her inner thighs, having just spent the last few hours consummating our wedding vows to one another. I have to let her rest, she's only human and can't fuck day and night without time recovering her strength in between. The problem is, she still has no idea the effect she can have!

Even in asleep, I starve for her!

The funny thing is, I'm not hungry for her blood. She's not a meal to be had. My hunger goes beyond the need of filling my physical belly. 

I'm hungry for her affections and her smiles, I'm hungry for her caresses and her voice, I'm hungry for her cleverness and bravery, I even hunger for her disapproving scowls! I'm completely at her mercy, and I'm the one with the power to suck the life force out of anything in this land, yet, one look from her, and I'm done for. 

She's everything. She's my sustenance and my compass. She's the only thing that has kept me from the darkness of my soulless unlife. But maybe is not that I'm soulless, but that she holds my soul in her hands, because the thing I hunger for the most, is the way my heart feels in my chest when she's around: like it's beating again, like there's life still within me; or the way that every time she takes a ragged breath under my moving body, I can literally fill my lungs expand with air that isn't stale and dead. 

While her heart beats, so does mine. While her lungs breathe, so do mine. Our bodies are one, and every droplet of blood I take from her luscious veins, satisfy my need more throughly than the last. 

I want all of her, and at the same time, I want her to be free of my influence, because I'm afraid she'll let me cling to her, take away her vitality, and never live a happy life. Love can only take you so far, before other human basic needs come looking for attention, and then what? Do I let her go once she's figured out there's only death waiting for her if she stays with me? Do I make her leave even if life has passed her by, and she's devoted her best years to the lost such as me?

I don't want her to resent me, ever! All I know, is that turning her into a dark being, a monster of the night, will never be an option. I rather die, before I allow her to become an undead mutt like myself. She will never be a vampire! When the natural course of her life comes to an end, I hope I can be strong enough- brave enough- to walk into the sun to join her, because she doesn't belong in the dead of night, she belongs under morning shine. 

"Mmhhmm..." She half moans, half yawns. The sound is small, but gets my entire attention.

She shifts in her sleep, sighs, turns over so now I'm staring at her slender shoulders, the graceful curve of her spine and the dip of her lower back. Her round, plump buttom is draped in the sheets, but her long, perfectly sculpted legs are still bare. She sighs again, a soft snore passes through her parted lips and she sleeps on.

I smile watching her fist curl loosely under her chin. She's so pure, even after the way she just allowed me to use her body. 

I reach a hand to smooth a lock of hair off her face, and the rumbling of her tummy startles me for a quick second. 

 _Right! Living people eat food_.

I wonder when was the last time she ate?

Another tiny rumble, and I can hardly repress the chuckle bubbling in my throat. I've forgotten what it sounds like to be alive. It's endearing.

I need to feed her though. 

Keep her healthy. 

That last thought is what finally gives me the will to get up from bed, where I've been sitting for the last hour, admiring my beautiful bride, and down the stairs to the kitchen. After all, I used to be a baker, I used to feed this town, and humans need bread and other foods for energy. 

I wrinkle my nose once I've reached the landing on the first floor. I can smell my father's scent, he's seemingly alone this time. Instinctually, my eyes fly to the clock hanging on the wall, and then, to the window to check just how dark it is out. 

I guess if anyone is safe prowling the streets at night without a fear of predators lurking the dark corners of town, is my father. I would never feed from him, and the _other_  vampire won't hurt him. She's too... _taken_ with him, to cause him any harm. 

_Lucky bastard, my father!_

I'm about to turn in the direction of the kitchen, when the knock stops me. 

 _That's unusual._  

How can somebody have snuck up so close to me, without being detected by my senses? The only scents I perceive are those of my wife and my father. And come to think of it, I can barely hear my father's heart beat, while Katniss' rings loudly in my ears, and resonates in my hollow chest, like an echo of her's. 

 _Curious_!

A more insisting knock prompts me to action, drawing me to the door, instead of the kitchen. I don't want the noise to wake my sleeping wife. 

"Who is it?" I ask as loud as I dare, looking up the stairs every so often, making sure Katniss remains undisturbed. 

"Your old man! Who else would be willing to come out here after dark if not me?" He answers both incredulous and annoyed. 

"Dad?" I yank the door open finally, finding my father standing on my porch, arms loaded with a box full of vittles. I'm stroke with the aromas of fruit, cheeses, and spices coming from the box with after tones of my father's own scent. 

_Curious indeed!_

I can't remember the last time I was able to appreciate the smell of anything other than blood. 

I step aside, as invitation for him to step inside. I'm too stunned by the fact I can smell food, that I forget I'm giving my father the icy treatment. Instead, I tell him dumbfounded, "I smelled you coming not a minute ago. How you get here so fast? Your scent was so faint, I thought for sure, you were at least fifteen minutes away." 

He gives me a quizzical glance, but steps in the direction of the kitchen, passing me by. "Don't know what to tell you, son. Come on, I have perishables, that need to be put in refrigeration right away. The trek here wasn't short at all!" 

I follow him, still puzzled as to why, still being two steps ahead of me, I'm not drowning in his scent. The only smell vividly etched in my nose, it's the tangy essence of Katniss' arousal; then again, I probably stink of it all over, since I never cleaned up after having my face shoved between her legs for hours earlier this evening.

The thought makes me both self conscious and very protective of Katniss' privacy. I don't want any man to ever smell her juices, but this being my own father, makes it even worse; as if it was incest or something. Katniss is so much younger than him. She looks up to him like a second father. I doubt he'd ever think of her _that_ way, but I still don't want him sniffing my wife's cum on me. 

I lag behind him, while he places the box of food on the kitchen table, and starts sorting items into groups to then place them away. 

"What is it, son?" He asks looking up at me, holding a pint of strawberries that smell extraordinarily sweet and tasty. The aroma is making my mouth watered. 

I shake my head a little, a thought was taking form in my mind, explaining why I still can't properly grasp his scent, when he pulled out the fruit from the box, and the tart, fresh smell, was the only thing of importance right then; but, my mind is back on  straight and clear, I narrow my eyes at him, I remember why I'm so crossed with him.

"Did you just come from seeing Johanna? Has she managed a way to cloak your scent so predators can't find you? Because I'm having a hard time smelling you out, and I sure as hell can't smell _her_ on you either!" 

"Peeta," my father sighs tiredly, bracing his weight on his big, calloused hands on the edge of my kitchen counter. He takes a heavy breath before responding,  shaking his head slowly, "I haven't seen Johanna in almost a week. Not since you forbid her for the third time to come looking for me. She's not happy with you, you know." 

He steps away from the counter, a package of cookies he most likely baked himself in hand, and turns into the pantry, before I let my words leave my mouth. 

"I don't care if Johanna is angry! You're off limits, and she knows it. She knew it even before she saw you. Why she still insists on seeking you out, I don't know, but if she doesn't stop for good, I don't see any of this ending well for her!" 

"Is that right?" Dad's tone is a little angry, but I don't care, "Tell me son, what exactly you mean by that? Are you planing to start a feud with the only one of your kind you're friends with?" 

The question is meant to make me retract my threat, but if he thinks I'm gonna allowed him to become Johanna's living toy, he's got another thing coming.

"She's not the _only_ friend of my kind I have, Dad! I've befriended others like me during my travels,"

"Really? Because she's the only one that followed you here, to help you settle back in!"  

"She might have come with good intentions, but once she met you, her true nature came afloat, dad!"

"What true nature is that? She's only been protective and attentive to me!"

My father's words make my stomach churn uncomfortably. I'm so angry, that he has let a vampire lure him into a sense of safety that doesn't exist, I blow up without thinking.

"She's using you for her own selfish needs, Dad! All she cares for is to have you in her bed to satisfy her hunger! She doesn't love you." I scream in frustration.

"How do you know she doesn't feel something real for me?" He asks loudly, I detect hurt under the anger in his voice.

"Because she's a vampire! She can't be trusted!" 

"Then neither can you," Says Katniss calmly from behind me. 

I startle a little. Not that I would have heard her coming down the stairs, her tread is so quiet, but I should at least felt the change of her breathing pattern or something. Her heart beat is steady and strong, the rythimm cools my temper off.

She steps into the kitchen fully. Wearing a flowy nightgown, layered with a matching robe, her hair loose around her shoulders and her face freshly cleaned, she stares at me with impassive gray eyes, so clear and focused, it's as if she's been awake for hours. 

"You sound like Papa," she says evenly, walking towards my father, "In fact, those are his exact words to describe you," she adds before rising on tip-toes to kiss my father in the cheek. She addresses him next, voice warm and happy, "We missed you at the Justice Building," she holds his hand and squeezes lighting on his thick fingers. 

My father smiles sadly at her, "I'm sorry I missed it too, my dear, but I thought it was better to let you both enjoy your special moment in happy peace. After all, getting married is a sacred time for the bride and groom, people should respect that."

"Thank you for supporting us. It means a lot." Katniss hugs him quickly, before letting go and snatching a few grapes from a basket on the counter, popping them into her mouth. 

I'm speechless, all my eyes ca do is follow her every move, and I feel it begin again: the insisting tattoo of my heart beat, rattling fast and hard against my ribcage.

My breath catches and finally my eyes have to blink away the dryness from staring at her so long. Normally, my undead body can't feel any of the nuisance discomforts living people feel: eye dryness, scratchy throats, airwaves constricting; it's a welcome experience if I'm completely honest, I know that's how a normal person is supposed to react, when the object of their infatuation comes near.

When I was alive, I feelt this way, to a lesser degree, when Katniss  grew into a proper woman. 

"You're always welcome here, mister Mellark," she says munching on a strawberry next. "Isn't that right, Peeta?" She asks pointedly at me. 

"Oh... uh," There goes my ability to speak as well. "Anything you say, Katniss," Even to my ears, I sound like a lovesick idiot. 

All the aggravation I had felt before she came into the room has evaporated, and all I can do is agree with her commands, not even caring that my father is witnessing how a four feet, ten inches tall little thing that can't weight more than seventy pounds soaking wet, can control the most powerful beast in the forest, with a quirk of her eyebrow. 

Father clears his throat loudly, breaking me away from my enchanted trance. 

"None of that _mister Mellark_ nonsense now, Katniss dear, you're a Mellark yourself now! Just call me Lucca. You are my new  _daughter,_ and althoughI don't expect you to call me dad or anything like that, you have your own father after all, I would like you to call me Lucca," Father says with a sweet, wide smile that she reciprocates easily.

"It'll take me some time to get used to calling you Lucca, but if you insist, I'll do it!" 

"I insist!" He says fondly; after a moment he pats her hand before pulling her towards the pantry, to show her the food he just brought in.

I'm a little annoyed he's the one making her face light up at the sight of freshly baked rolls,  blocks of different cheeses, flaky pastries drizzled with honey and filled with roasted apple slices and creamy cheese goat; the bowl of fresh berries he pulls out of the refrigerator, smells like spring in the fields, even my nose perks up. 

Katniss daintily picks a handful of berries and grapes, and finds a seat on the small breakfast nook to the side of the kitchen, while my father offers to put together a sandwich for her. That's when I step in, reclaiming the original purpose I had come down here for in the first place. 

"Actually, Dad, when you arrived, I was about to heat it up a special dish I made for my bride. It's her favorite food!" 

This statement gets Katniss' full attention. I adore her love for food. I love she's not shy about eating it in big loads. It makes me want to go back to cooking and baking, even though she's perfectly capable of feeding herself.

I pull a couple of pots from the refrigerator, and set them on the stove to heat; next, I gather a few ingredients I had set aside earlier today, and mix a salad of leafy greens. A batch of cheese buns I had resting under a damp cloth go in the oven to bake; and lastly, since dad brought them, I slice some strawberries and almonds to toss in with the greens. 

Wordlessly, my father takes the bottle of balsamic oil and vinegar dressing from the pantry and hands it to me; I nod my gratitude to him, before dousing the mixture on the salad, and placing the finished bowl on the table, in front of my wife, that simply rewards me with a sweet enthusiastic smile.

Her shiny gray eyes flit to my father quickly before returning to my face. I know her enough to accurately guess what she's thinking, I know she won't say anything herself since she doesn't want to offend me, but I can be mature and offer a peace branch to my old man.

I turn to my father and manage a sideways smile in his direction.

"There's enough food for ten people here, and Katniss will only devour half of that on her own," predictably, she chokes out my name indignantly, and I laugh while rubbing the sting left behind by her well aimed slap on my arm. "What you say, Pops, share our little late night dinner with us?" 

My father smiles uncertained, "I don't want to intrude son. It's your wedding night after all," he says with a dash of melancholy.

"Peeta and I have years ahead of us to eat meals alone, but we only get one wedding feast, and it can't be a feast without guests. Please stay?" Katniss tries to wheedle sweetly.

I laugh softly, because she unleashes that smile of hers, with the pleading big eyes, is unfair to anyone! I kiss the top of her head when my father starts to nod and laugh with me.

"You have no idea," I tell her, "the effect you can have," I repeat my earlier thought, except this time her inquisitive gaze is on me, trying to understand if I'm giving her a complement or mocking her.  "You can be very persuasive, when you put your mind to it, sweetie," I say grinning down at her.

She smiles back at me, and my hand finds its way to her loose tresses, to comb the fine, dark strands with as much tenderness I have within me. Soon my finger is caressing her cheek and her eyes close contentedly. 

The timer goes off, but my father is already at the oven, I surmise in an attempt at give us some privacy. 

"Cheese buns are done!" He announces, reaching for a cooling rack. 

The main dish is also ready to be served, so I bring dishes ladled with food to the table where my beautiful wife is serving salad into individual bowls. Once I set the plate in front of her, her eyes go wide, a broad smile breaks on her face and to top it all off, she giggles a must un-Katniss sound, but one that I know it's reserved for culinary surprises.

"Mmmm... Lamb stew!" She sighs leaning in to inhale de aroma off the plumes of steam lifting from the stew. "It has plumbs and everything!" she giggles again dipping a finger into her food like an impatient child. "Thank you, Peeta!" she says grabbing the hem of my sleeve, pulling me closer to her until her arm curls around my neck and my lips rest in her's. 

"Enjoy your wedding feast, sweetheart," I say sweetly into the kiss.

When I straighten up, my father is busing himself with cups and a pitcher of iced water; I'm grateful he's trying to keep himself as inconspicuous as possible, but oddly enough, I don't mind him being here... just yet.

As we settle down for supper, a warmth and contentment fills my chest. I didn't know I've missed this sensation until this very moment, when I let my eyes roam over the faces at my dinning table. For the first time in years, I feel like I have a home and a family again. For the first time in years, I feel simple happiness.

My heart gives a lurch and stays on pulsing, but I barely resister this oddity because after Katniss takes a spoonful of stew and rice, my mouth waters at the sight of of the food. I follow her lead, and while I don't _need_  it for nurishment, I can't stop eating the rich fare. The taste of tender meat and herbs mingle on my taste buds, the thick, savory gravy coats my throat, and I swear, I haven't enjoyed flavors like this since I became this undead being.

I gorge myself with the food in my plate, and when that's gone, I splat some more down in desperation. Both Katniss and my father stare at me with growing concern in their puzzled faces, but I can't stop myself, not until my dormant gag reflexes activate and send me flying to the sink to empty my useless, dead stomach of all I've overindulged in the past five minutes.

I retch until the basin is full, and my innards blissfully settled. 

Katniss is at my side rubbing my back and wiping my sweaty forehead- another oddity to add to the list- Meanwhile, my father is trying to clean up the mess, as he used to do when I was a little boy. 

My eyes sting, my throat is raw and sore, my chest aches and my heart is racing within me. I laugh because this is all so absurd! I shouldn't be feeling any of this, I'M DEAD! I'm incapable of experience this bodily reactions.

"Are you okay?" Katniss asks bitting her lower lip nervously. 

"Yeah. I am. I'm not sure what came over me. The stew was so delicious, I couldn't stop myself." I chuckle mirthlessly, "I think I'm malfunctioning. I should go for a walk to clear my head," I say without really thinking. "Come on dad, I'll walk you back to town, if you've finish your dinner," 

 

* * *

 

**Katniss' POV**

 

"Are you asleep?" His voice sounds so far and muffled in my subconscious, but I still feel him nuzzling the skin below my ear.

A second later, I'm aware of his body pressing against my back, his hands trailing from my shoulders, down to my waist, and finally my hips. He kisses and licks the exposed flesh from my jaw to juncture of my shoulder, and when I release the sleepy, lazy moan from my throat, he digs his fingers into my bare skin pulling me tighter into his body. 

"Did I wake you?" He whispers the question into my ear and then sucks my lobe into his mouth.

"Peeta," I sigh stretching in his arms, yielding to his pursuits.

I know what he's after. I know what he wants. I knew he'd want it once he was back from his walk, and like a good complying wife, I disrobed my nightgown and laid bare on our bed, waiting for his return, a message that I would willingly let him have his way with me tonight. The mere thought of him taking me, ravaging me, makes the muscles in my tummy tense in anticipation; I guess we're two peas in a pod, wanton and needy, my legs ready to part for his hard member to join us as one. Neither can get enough of the other.

I stopped trying to understand this lustful mindset, the overwhelming desire to have him between my thighs all the time. It's primal, animal even, the way that I always want him to possess  my body, devour it any way he wants to. In my mind I want to feel that I am his to love, to hold, and protect, that I'm also his to fuck. I'm not sure it's psychologically sane, nor do I care to find out, all I know is that I crave sex with him as much as he does with me.

Maybe it has something to do with him being a vampire and me being his living mate, maybe if we were both human we would want and need the other less, but maybe not; I know for a fact people in love tend to be very amorous when they think no one is watching them; Gale and Madge for example, knew of cozy little nooks all around town where they would rendezvous privately, Madge would tell me about it with cheeks so flushed they looked like apples and a smile so bright it made me jealous, not because I wanted anything to do with Gale, but I wanted the romantic, sensuosy relationship that left her breathless and bothered. 

Well, I have it now! 

I wonder if my wanton ways are similar to Madge's or not, because there isn't anything I crave more in this world, than the feeling of my husband's member sliding inside of me, binding us together as one single being. When our bodies are conected in blissful coitus, it's the moment I know, in my heart of hearts, that Peeta is alive, whole and with me. Safe from the darkness and no longer evil. When Peeta makes love to me, we are only one being, my heart beats for us both, my blood flows for us both, my lungs breathe for us both. That's the moment I crave.

"You're so warm," he mumbles against my shoulder blade, bringingvme back to the present. "You also smell so good, like fresh rain on earth, like freedom and life," He sighs kissing my shoulder languidly. "I'm sorry I left you for so long," his hands wander all over my sides, brushing slightly the underside of my breast.

"It's okay. You had to make sure your father made it home safe," I breathe out, while his lips nip and kiss my nape and the base of my spine. 

He stops his kisses, for a moment, nuzzling my neck. His arms wrap tightly around my naked body, and I realize he's only partially clothed. 

"No, sweetie." He says softly, I detect a note of sadness in his voice, "I meant, I'm sorry I left you for all those years. I'm sorry I didn't return earlier. I feel like I've lost so much time," his regret is so heartfelt, the self loathing also palpable in his tone.

I struggle to turn in his arms, until we are face to face. I search his eyes for a moment, my heart stills in my chest, and slows down a little. 

"You are back now," I say scowling at him, "The separation was necessary for the both of us. We both grew a lot in that time. We learned things about ourselves that will help us lead a better life together. It doesn't matter if you were gone, what matters is that you're back now. You found your way back home, and that's all that matters," I say trying not to sound like I'm nagging him, but encouraging him. 

He smiles wanly and buries his face in the crook of my neck. 

"I love you so much, Katniss. Without you, I have nothing. Nobody needs me,"

"I do," I say lifting his face to mine, "I'll always need you," 

My heart is racing full gallop, his hand slides up my ribcage, trailing along my arm, and finally cups my cheek, he smiles so sweetly, there's even a tinge of shyness to it; my stomach swoops and quivers when my eyes catch the shine in his pupils. His eyes look so different, the blue of his irises is a shade darker, and somehow... _deeper._ His eyes look and feel more alive, warmer.

My hand rests on his bare chest, right above the place his heart should beat, and to my astonishment, there's a violent lurch under the tip of my fingers. My eyes widened, and seek his, but his face is full of shock, bafflement and even fear. 

Still, he licks his lips staring at mine, and my hand rises to tangle with his wavy hair at the base of his nape; he brings his lips to mine without question or hesitation. My eyes close in contentment, the unexpected heart beat forgotten the moment his tongue licks my bottom lip right before sucking it into his wet, warm mouth. 

Theres something unusual about what I just felt, but I'm not quite sure what it is. But his mouth tastes so sweet and juicy, like the handful of strawberries I had before coming to bed. 

"Tell me Mrs. Mellark, how would you need a lost cause such as myself? I'm sure you can survive just fine without me," he says softly, cautiously, between soft breathy kisses.

"I need your eyes to survive," I whisper, "I need your kisses, and your voice. I need the safety of your arms around me. I need your hand in mine. I need you so I can shower you with love," I say demurely, my face burning with a bashfulness I can't repress.

"Then we must shower each other with our love, until we are full and satisfied, my bride," 

"Okay," I moan when his hand smooths down my torso, fingers padding my breasts tenderly.

And his voice goes rough, a devious smile curls his sweet lips, "I love when you allow me this things," and then, he's above me.

He kisses every inch of skin available to him. He nips and licks, as he pleases. He nudges my knees apart, and they fall wide open to him willingly. And then his head is between my thighs, my hands pulling and pushing on his blonde curls, my pelvis pivoting upward, with the swipes of his tongue down my slit, and over my nether lips, his fingers join the fray, and my mind doesn't register anything else after that. I know I screamed his name over and over, while my world became blurrier and more colorful. 

Then my arms were pinned above my head, and all I could feel was warmth. His smooth skin, usually cool to the touch, was hot as if he had been sunbathing all day; he was moving inside of me, heaving and grunting with every desperate snap of his hips against mine. His cock felt hot, thrusting in and out of me with ease. He felt so good, I cried his name in ecstasy again, my walls fluttering around him.

"Yes! Oh fuck yes! You're so wet and warm. Please, Katniss, give me another one, one more orgasm and you can go to sleep, sweetie," he whispers harsly into my ear. His breath puffing hot air across my neck and collarbone. 

"F-fin... fingers," I push out, trashing under him. 

A second later his fingers are rubbing me furiously between our bodies. His cock feels bigger. I plant my feet flat on the mattress and push up against his fingers. His dick goes deeper inside of me. He brings his hot mouth to my breasts. He's bitting a nipple, but strangely there aren't any fangs poking my skin. I don't care, I'm so very close to my release again, so I warn him. Then I beg him to join me in my high. 

He does.

The look in his eyes is wild. The way he grabs my face, possessively, roughly, and descends on my lips in a bruising kiss. It feels out of control and erratic. He keeps pounding into me even after he's shed his last drop of... whatever he just spilled.

This cum is denser and stickier than his normal fare. I can feel it sliding hot and thick down my inner thighs. 

One more strange occurrence to add to the list is the gasping for air, as if he couldn't fill his lungs fast enough.

He slumps forward, crushing me under his heavy frame. His unusually warm skin is slick with perspiration, in fact, our skins stick together uncomfortably with sweat and saliva residue, and our post coital fluids. The smell it's quite strong and different tonight. His heart is hammering strong and fierce against mine, creating a symphony of their own. 

I should find all of this odd.

More that odd.

It's downright impossible! vampires don't have endocrine systems, no glands to regulate body heat, his body is stuck in one temperature and needs no regulation, yet the salt of his soft, fleshy dermis, sticks to my lips as I kiss his pectoral muscle right above my face. I'm beyond tired, my body has gone boneless, my mind is slowly shutting away thighs that don't involve sleeping, and although Peeta is warm and heavy on top of me, I can barely register any discomfort.

"You love," he wheezes rearranging his head so our faces are nose to nose, "real or not real?"

I pat his cheek lazily, "Very real, Peeta, my love. My husband."

"Good," I can feel the smile in his sleepy voice and then on the lazy kiss he leaves on the tip of my nose. Then he yawns. Most unusually. Who cares? I'm half asleep myself.

I'm about to cross into the realm of slumber, when a nagging thought pierces my conscious, ' _He hasn't fed yet!'_

I grunt lowly, I'm almost used to it already, but it's better when he feeds while in in the middle of cumming. My blood flow is stronger then, and the euphoric chemical release of my orgasm covers for the woozy feeling right after the first pull of my life force. Nevertheless my arteries await the prick of puncturing fangs, but I most have pass out before he seeks out my pulse points, because I don't remember his bite, nor the dizzying sensation of syphoning blood from veins. 

Dead of night closes in plunging the world into darkness, but I have no fears, the arms of my beloved guard my sleep from  nightmares and terrors, and soon a new day will arise, in which to show the world that our love transcends death and life, curse and reason, and that darkness will dissipate one inch at a time, giving way the most glorious morning shine.

 

 

>>\---------> ~*~ <\---------<<

__

_**End of Volume One** _

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of "Dead of Night".
> 
> Hope you've enjoyed this little experiment of mine, writing darker fiction. I do apologize for taking so long to come to a conclusion, (almost a whole year!!!) and although there are many... And I mean, a LOT, of loose ends left, I am happy to announce "Morning Shine", the upcoming sequel to this adventure! 
> 
> I hope to post the first chapter on Halloween, commemorating the one year anniversary of "Dead of Night". I will answer some questions left on this chapter, and we will see how this oddness alters Peeta and other surprises. There will be a power struggle, and we will meet a few characters that will make some havoc for Everlark. 
> 
> Please, leave comments and questions bellow, and thank you so much for reading this little story!
> 
> Thanks for your support and patience! I heart you all!

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr alliswell21


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